


Silvervine

by sockdilemma



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Idk it's my first time, Minor Angst, Minor sin, Steamy, fluff later?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-05-24 19:45:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 81,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6164570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sockdilemma/pseuds/sockdilemma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She couldn't believe this. Yes, she understood he went gallivanting around as a cat boy, and yes, she knew his senses were heightened when he was in the suit (he had mentioned it more than once and they'd had to rely on it during several akuma attacks in the past year or so), but was he that much like a cat that he got drunk off of some goddamn silvervine?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Thank you so much, Marinette, dear! You can't imagine just how badly we needed this week away!"

Marinette knew that she was literally the worst at saying no to anyone who needed a hand-- and this was exactly one of those cases. She stood in her bedroom alongside a middle-aged couple who lived a few blocks away, and in between them was a crate that rattled back and forth every few minutes, a wild growl emanating from the pastel pink box. Marinette grimaced down at the box, before her eyes flickered up to the sweet pair of lovebirds, cracking a nervous grin that she hoped looked at least semi-believable. The plump, graying woman and the tall, balding gentleman before her simply smiled back, practically glowing with excitement.

"Oh, no worries! You know I love to help!" she squeaked out through pressed teeth. They hadn't even left yet and she was regretting her life decisions. Another rattle from the crate had her flinching back from it, swallowing audibly. Thankfully, the couple before her didn't notice. The woman hoisted up a bag with a big pink paw print on the front up from the floor, shifting its weight in between her palms.

"Alright, this is his food, we feed him twice a day. Change his litter at least every two days, or he might have an accident; he's very high stress, our little sweet." Marinette just kept smiling, nodding to show she was paying attention, "He might be a bit nervous for a short while; he's never been out of the apartment, you see... I'm sure this change of environment will do him good for a short while." Another feral growl from the crate, "It's a shame you can't stay at our place, but we understand. A girl your age is too young to be staying by herself, even if it would only be for a week. We are just so glad that your parents were okay with him staying here!"

"Yeah, me too." Marinette chuckled out awkwardly as she took the heavy food from the older woman-geez, how much did this bloody animal eat?!- before hauling the food over to her desk, leaning it up against the wall with an 'oof'. When she turned back, the gentleman was flicking through some paper bills, wetting his thumb to rub the money apart to help him count.

"This is the first part of your payment. We will give you the rest when we return to pick our boy up."

"Oh, thank you!" Marinette flushed, quickly taking the money from the man with a blush and a smile, "Oh, b-but isn't this a bit much?"

"Oh nonsense, dear! You are really helping us out of quite the pickle! Besides, a sweet young thing needs some extra money to splurge, no?" the woman chuckled out heartily, and the man just smiled, his eyes crinkling up joyfully, "We know you will take very good care of our boy... Oh, yes! Before we leave!" the woman reached one soft, chubby hand into the purse that hung over her shoulder, and Marinette remained quiet as she rummaged through it, tongue poking out in concentration, until she finally found what she was looking for, "This will help him relax, and if you use it often, I'm sure you two will become fast friends!" a small bottle was placed in Marinette's hands, and before she could even look down at it, she was wrapped up in a warm hug.

"You will do fine, my dear! Have fun with our angel, we will contact you once we're on our way home. Tata!" and with that, they were heading down her trap door, said door slamming quickly behind them. Marinette stood for a few solid minutes in silence, one hand holding a pile of money, the other hand wrapped around the little black bottle that had been left with her. It was only when the crate rattled that she was broken out of her trance, and she flinched away as another loud snarl erupted into the silence. Marinette shoved the money into her back pocket, and nervously crouched down to peer into the door of the crate. She was met with large green eyes and bared teeth.

"Well, little Chat, looks like we're going to be good friends." she giggled nervously, before jerking back as the black cat spat angrily at her.

It was going to be a long week.

 

\---

 

Marinette's first evening with the cat, who had of course been named Chat Noir after the parisian black-clad hero, had not gone over all too well. He had kept her up all night skulking around and yowling, and when she seemed to have finally fallen asleep.... She was lurched out of her rest by a force landing sharply on her stomach, winding her.

"Goddamnit, Chat! Do you even know what time it is?!" she whined out after she'd finally caught her breath. Chat looked up at her with wide eyes, before darting down from the loft to hide out somewhere on her bedroom floor. Marinette pushed her sleep tousled hair from her face, before reaching around for her phone, wincing in the light as she flicked it on. She let out a strangled yelp, before throwing herself from the bed, nearly killing herself on the ladder down, and proceeded to dart into the bathroom. Tikki, who had up until now been resting, peered out from under Marinette's pillow, rubbing her large eyes.

"...Don't tell me you forgot to set your alarm again?" the little kwami mumbled out, floating out from under the pillow and yawning widely. Chat Noir had also proven quite successful at keeping the little red being awake as well, as the minute he'd laid eyes on her he'd been trying to eat her whole. Tikki pinched her little face together, peering around to make sure that the cat wasn't in eyesight, before floating over to Marinette's bathroom counter top, splashing her tiny face with some sink water while Marinette furiously brushed her hair in an attempt to tame it into her usual twin pigtails.

"It's all Chat's fault! He kept me up so late with all that noise, I totally forgot to turn it on!" Marinette flustered out. She was far too tired for this, "That damn cat, how dare he keep me up all night!"

Tikki couldn't help but snicker. If the actual Chat Noir had heard that, she was certain he would be very happy about it.

"Ah shoot, I gotta feed him! Gimme a sec, Tikki, I'm almost ready!" Marinette flung herself back out of her bathroom, and Tikki floated on out behind her, quietly nestling herself into Marinette's purse while the midnight haired girl tried to coax Chat out from under her desk with a blush pink food bowl, labelled 'Chat Noir' in glittery, magenta letters. When she figured he wouldn't come out for her, Marinette left the bowl next to her computer chair, and with one last rush about to ensure she had everything for the day, yanked her purse off her chaise lounge and darted down the stairs, her trap door slamming shut behind her.

 

\---

 

She barely made it in time for class, slamming the door open just as the bell went off and startling the students that sat in the first few rows of the classroom. After a muffled apology coated with embarrassment, (Adrien had jumped with more surprise than the others and had been staring at her with those wide, beautiful green eyes of his) Marinette tucked her burning face into her collar as she took her seat. Alya glanced over to her, cracking a smile.

"Hey girl, nice to see you get here exactly on time today. What's the excuse this time?" the redhead whispered as she leaned over, taking in Marinette's ruffled clothes and her glassy, fatigue heavy eyes. Marinette simply glanced over to her friend, her lip in a tired pout and her face still hot from making a blatant scene in front of her classmates (or more pointedly, Adrien).

"I'm pet sitting." she mumbled out at a volume just high enough for Alya to hear without interrupting the lesson. Marinette didn't even know what her professor was talking about- and she had a feeling it would be like that all day long, "This nice couple from a few blocks down who frequent the bakery needed a last minute pet sitter and I volunteered." Alya groaned and rolled her eyes, and Marinette huffed, dropping her chin down onto the desk in front of her. Alya didn't even need to tell her that she got roped into things far too easily, Marinette knew. She knew all too well.

After some hushed whispers in between herself and her friend, Marinette decided the only thing she'd possibly be able to do while this tired was scribble some designs and feign paying attention. As she reached down into her purse, her hand paused. Alongside a sleeping Tikki (the poor thing needed the rest) and her assorted pencils, the black spray bottle that Chat's owner had left with her was seated. She pulled it out curiously, only now having the thought to look at it and figure out what it was. On one side of the bottle, she read a single word written in glittery pink permanent maker: Silvervine.

 

\---

 

"Silvervine? You mean you've never heard of it?" Alya asked, her eyebrows quirking curiously. It was lunch time, and Alya, figuring her poor tired friend needed some spoiling, had brought her out to their favourite cafe, treating her to a latte macchiato and a scone. Marinette shook her head, from side to side, her pigtails bouncing at the motion.

"Should I? My family has never owned a cat, as far as I can remember at least." Marinette shrugged out, taking a sip of her macchiato and daintily returning the cup to the table, her hands wrapped around the porcelain and stealing the heat away. It was a cold day, and therefore a perfect day for a warm beverage. She was just hoping that the caffeine would perk her up enough to help her get through the rest of the school day.

"It's like catnip, but like, hardcore." Alya explained. Marinette quirked her head, "Like, you've seen what catnip does, right?" of course she had, Alya and her spent hours at a time sending each other stupid cat videos, "Well think of that, but like, twenty times stronger. It just chills them out and makes them crazy affectionate and needy. When we had our cat, we used to give him that stuff all the time." Marinette looked down at her cup, her lips quirking upwards in one corner as she pondered. She knew every cat responded to catnip differently, would this silvervine stuff be the same? Hopefully the reaction she got out of mini Chat Noir would be a relatively positive one.

"So what, I just spray this stuff all over and the cat will chill out? Am I supposed to use it like an air freshener? A perfume?" she took a bite out of her scone, munching quietly as she watched Alya take enormous gulps of her mocha. Alya wasn't one to take things nice and slow. Everything had to be done then and there.

"Presumably, yes. If his owner recommended it, it should work that way." Alya nodded her head sharply in response, before tossing back the remains of her mocha, "You'll have to give it a go when you get home. Try spraying it on your chair, or your clothes or something," Alya motioned for Marinette to pack up her scone, and she obeyed quietly, slipping the pastry into her purse (that way Tikki could have some if she was awake enough). Alya stood abruptly, and Marinette followed suit after chugging down the last of her macchiato, "For now though, we gotta get heading, or you're going to be late for chemistry, which means less time sitting with Adrien." Alya snickered out loud at how Marinette's face instantly lit up like a light bulb, and the two took off out of the cafe and back to class.

 

\---

 

Marinette returned home in a pleasant mood. She'd been able to actually communicate with Adrien during her chemistry class, the only class she'd apparently been completely awake for, and she'd only fumbled and stuttered like, 6 times. He'd been quite patient with her nearly messing up the project that they'd been working on, and had even laughed at one of her jokes. Her brain felt like it was floating on a happy Adrien love cloud. Not even the devil cat currently residing in her room could spoil that feeling. She kissed her maman as she stepped through the door into the sweet smelling bakery, and called a greeting to her papa as she skipped past the kitchen. Finding her way up the ladder to her trap door, she hummed a little tune as she peeked her head in.

Peering into her room, finding it ominously quiet, "Chat Noiiiir," she cooed out, closing her trap door behind her as she got down onto her knees, peering underneath all of her stuff in an attempt to find the cat. He wasn't easy to miss, despite his black fur. He was seated exactly where Marinette had left him several hours ago, and when Marinette neared him, he folded his ears back and hissed. Marinette couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Yes hello, missed you too." she replied sarcastically to the cat, who didn't take his eyes off of her as she stood back up. His food bowl was empty, so at least she knew that he had moved out from under her desk at some point during the day. Marinette dropped her purse back onto her chaise lounge, sitting alongside it and popping open the clasp. Tikki's little red forehead appeared before her, and she smiled down at her little friend.

"Are you going to try the kitty befriending spray?" Tikki asked curiously, holding up the little black bottle and peering over to the cat, who'd instantly honed in on the kwami's location and was staring with those sharp green eyes.

"Well it wouldn't hurt, would it? Before I start my homework, anyways..... Yeah, let's give it a go." Marinette picked up the bottle, and sprayed the silvervine along her upper arms, hands, and wrists, rubbing the condensation into her skin. She then looked over at Chat's curled up form, and got back down onto her knees, carefully scooting over to him. He flinched when she came closer, but didn't budge otherwise. His eyes kept flickering between her and Tikki, who'd hovered out of the purse to watch curiously over Marinette's shoulder. She sat for a moment, leaving a few feet between her and the growling cat, before carefully, slowly holding out her wrists. The last thing she wanted to was to lose a hand to this beast of a cat.

The room was silent and still for what seemed like ages, the only sounds being from the ticking clock on the wall and the sound of cat Chat Noir growling and huffing angrily from underneath the desk. 

And just like that, it all seemed to work instantaneously. His huffing turned into snuffing, and he focused in on Marinette's wrists, cautiously crawling forward on his belly until his cold, wet little nose pressed up against her wrist. Marinette shuddered at the sudden chill that reverberated up her spine, but held still. This was, after all, a very sudden and very big turn of events for her and her fuzzy roommate. The cat kept snuffing, before he gently began rubbing up against her palms, and Marinette smiled. Taking that as a sign that she was given the okay to snuggle him, Marinette carefully turned her palm under the cat's chin, tickling his silky neck as he jutted her chin out at her. He was softer than she'd imagined, probably because his hair had been all puffy and angry since she'd released him from his crate the evening prior. The big cat scooted closer and closer, his little pink tongue poking out to drag roughly against her upper forearm. It tickled like crazy, and Marinette felt her smile split wider across her face.

"Well, if I had known that's how easy it would be to make friends I would have tried this last night," Marinette chuckled, the big black cat affectionately pressing his face up into her hands, a puddle of drool now accumulating on his jet black chin. Marinette continued to cuddle the cat for a good 15 minutes, before he left her to go skulk around somewhere in her room, and she was able to actually get some homework done before dinner. After dinner she wouldn't have time, after all.

It was patrol night.

 

\---

 

At exactly 10 o'clock, Ladybug landed on a rooftop that had been chosen as their designated meet-up place. Chat Noir had spent weeks trying to persuade her into doing all of their patrols together, as opposed to just the one once a week, and she'd finally given in. She could only say no so many times to her partner, after all, and he'd been very insistent on it. She folded her arms across her chest, peering up and around at the night sky around her, expecting at any time that her leather clothed companion would come into view. She was so, so tired, and was more than ready to get this done and over with, so she could attempt to sleep.

Patrol time was usually one of her favourite times of the day, and she'd found once she and Chat had had more time to spend with each other, it had become even better. She already relied on him as a partner, but for the past few weeks since co-patrol began, she'd began learning more and more about the boy behind the mask. For example, he was an only child, had been home schooled all of his life, didn't have a mother in his life (as far as she was aware, she didn't want to delve too deep into such a touchy category), and he loved the colour blue (although he'd told her that the last one was because it reminded him of her eyes, which she had rolled dramatically in response). It was enough that he didn't reveal too much to her, and at the same time didn't keep her away at an arms reach. It made him more.... human, which Marinette sometimes forgot that he was. They were usually so wrapped up in fighting akuma that she tended to forget that under that mask there was a boy who was sensitive, friendly, and very very cheeky.

Marinette was unfocused and dazed in her thoughts, but she honestly shouldn't have been surprised when she felt two hands land on her shoulders.

She had been though. Curse that damned tired foggy brain of hers.

With a yelp she grabbed one of the hands and was ready to flip the owner right off the roof, when Chat's voice bubbled into her ear, "Whoa, whoa, My Lady! It's just me!" she instantly relaxed, letting go of his wrist and turning to him, giving him a 'look' that said she wasn't exactly pleased he'd snuck up on her, but she wasn't irritated either. Chat Noir gave a chuckle, running a hand through his blond hair, "Just thought I'd have a bit of fun!" he teased, his cocky smile stretching across his lips. Ladybug couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Sorry Chat, I'm a little jumpy. Lack of sleep does that to me." she shrugged out. Chat Noir quirked a brow at her from under his mask.

"Not enough rest, bugaboo? Want to tell your favourite kitty all about it?" Chat leaned one of his elbows upon her shoulder, peering down into her blue eyes. She pushed him off lightly, and pressed his face away with a finger. If there was one thing Chat Noir didn't understand, it was personal space. He was just lucky that he was kind of cute.

"I don't think you'd be interested, to be perfectly honest. Despite the fact that I run from rooftop to rooftop on a semi regular occasion, I have a rather boring life behind the mask."

"Come now, Ladybug," Chat Noir cooed out, placing his fists down to press against his hips, and he shifted his weight to jut one of said hips out towards her, "You're my world, my sun, my moon! I want to know every little thing about you and your life, as boring as it may or may not be. Although if it is about My Lady, then I'm pawsitive that there is absolutely nothing I will find boring." she snorted, but couldn't help but smile as he beamed.

"I was kept up all night by a certain kitty cat," Ladybug replied, rolling her eyes once more as Chat Noir perked up, "and not the kitty cat you're thinking of there, Chaton. A big old brute of a cat I'm pet sitting." she ignored how Chat's posture temporarily deflated, and continued on through, "He just wouldn't stop crying all night, and whenever I tried to go near him he would start spitting and swiping at me," Ladybug made a little swatting gesture, mimicking the angry cat that was probably skulking about her room at this exact moment, "It wasn't until I used this spray stuff earlier that he stopped being a spazz. Looks like I don't have talents with taming cats." she snorted the last part, and glanced up at him as he chuckled in response.

"Mais non, My Lady, I don't think that is true at all." he caught her wrist in his fingers, and gently brought her hand up to press a gentle kiss to her knuckles, "I do believe that cat just has terrible taste. If I were him, I would be putty in your hands. Not that I'm not, already." he winked and kissed her hand again, longer this time. Ladybug, for the third time already in the past 6 minutes, rolled her eyes. She peered up and away from him, taking in the starry night around them with a tired sigh.

"Yeah, okay Chaton. Let's just get this patrol done sooner rather than later, alright? As much as I adore spending time with you, this ladybug needs her beauty rest." certain that that would be enough to appease the flirty boy, Ladybug finally went to pull her hand away, and found resistance. She turned back down to look at Chat Noir, whose eyes were focused down on her hand. Great, he was going to be a cheeky boy tonight? "Chat." she stated. His leather cat ears gave a twitch, but besides that, he didn't move an inch. "...Chat." she repeated. He knew very well that she was tired, had he forgotten that when she was usually this tired that she was a little testier than normal? Even if she'd had a relatively good day, a girl gets cranky when she's sleepy. Marinette wiggled her fingers against his nose, "Chat, come on." The kitty in question did not budge, and Ladybug felt a surge of irritation pulse through her, "Chat, that's enough joking around. Let's go." Ladybug took a step away from him, and then came to yet another sudden halt. The red-clad heroine turned her head sharply to give Chat Noir a pointed look.

He didn't move a muscle.

Even through the fabric of her superhero costume, Ladybug could feel Chat Noir's breath against the top of her hand. Ladybug's brows knitted together in concern, ".....Chat?" she asked, more tentative than before. Something wasn't right. This was Chat Noir. He was never this still. He was never this quiet. This was weirding her out like crazy, and she couldn't help the nervous shudder that crawled along her skin as his breath became heavier against her hand, and she could hear how deeply he was inhaling. Was he having trouble breathing? An asthma attack or something? It couldn't be, he'd been perfectly, completely fine up until a moment ago. Was it an akuma? Had he been possessed, turned evil as he had been a few times before during their escapades? Ladybug's tired senses kicked into overdrive and she attempted focus as her eyes darted around, searching for an apparently invisible opponent that may or may not have been lurking about.

And then she felt it.

His tongue languidly dragged across the top of her hand, and the heat and the moisture had her breath catching in her throat. And then he was turning her hand in his, trapping her upper arm in both of his palms as he puffed his hot breath against her wrist, before he began licking. Ladybug was frozen in shock, until ChatNoir began using his teeth, and then realization struck her.

Oh.

My.

God.

No.

"Chat you've gotta be kidding me," she gasped out, pulling against him and using her free hand in an attempt to push his head away. Quick as lightning he caught her other wrist, one in each of his leathery palms, and as his eyes turned up to her, Ladybug was sure her heart had stopped. His pupils were dilated, his face was flushed, and he looked positively.... For lack of a better word, predatorial. She began stumbling backwards and trying to yank her wrists out of his grip, but ChatNoir followed eagerly, eyes not leaving hers for even a second. She kept stepping back until she felt her head bump up against a rather inconveniently placed chimney, and she cursed, before glancing back to the boy before her. She gave a dry, loud swallow as Chat closed the space in between them, his chest pressing up against her rib cage and one hip trapping one of her thighs against the wall. She knew that Chat had a hard time with personal space, but there was literally no more space to be personal at this point, and Ladybug felt her heart flutter in a panic. The strange silence was deafening as he pressed one of her wrists up against the chimney and continued to lick, nibbling at her wrists in a way that gave Ladybug shivers.

She couldn't believe this. Yes, she understood he went gallivanting around as a cat boy, and yes, she knew his senses were heightened when he was in the suit (he had mentioned it more than once and they'd had to rely on it during several akuma attacks in the past year or so), but was he that much like a cat that he got drunk off of some goddamn silvervine?! Ladybug let out a yelp as Chat gave a particularly sharp nip, before he began lapping again with that far too hot tongue of his.

Ladybug was frozen in the spot. She wasn't sure what to do, after all she knew it kind of wasn't his fault? She hadn't expected something that worked on drugging cats would work on the biggest cat she knew. And from what she could tell, Chat wasn't even in there right now, as he was literally incoherent to all of her pleas. She was starting to feel nauseous, but it wasn't because she was disgusted with him, no... It was had to explain, but even though she didn't think she could see Chat Noir in a romantic way , she didn't mind the affections he was currently coating her in. Her heart belonged to Adrien, anyone could tell you that, but there was something about Chat Noir's charm and flirting that sometimes got to the girl, as much as she refused to admit to herself. And let's face it, the boy was surprisingly talented with his mouth. It was sending guilty shudders throughout her entire body, and she nibbled at her bottom lip as Chat nipped a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her palm. She couldn't control the whimper that escaped her lips, and the head directly next to hers that was so eagerly attacking her wrist came to a halt once more. Ladybug trembled, pressing her wrists against his palms to see if he'd come to his senses. It was quite evident he hadn't.

She was met instead with the most bizarre sound she'd ever heard come out of another human being.

It was almost like a hum, but it was deeper, and it reverberated up from Chat Noir's chest and into his throat. The vibrations rattled her chest, and she couldn't help the heat that crawled up her face to her ears.... And the heat that seemed to sink down into her hips. He was purring. Purring. Chat Noir. Ladybug was pulled from this bizarre thought process as Chat's mouth attached itself to her wrist once more, but this time he was suckling. Hard. She took in a sharp inhale as the sensation went straight to her core, and she cursed under her breath at her body's almost instantaneous reaction. She was moaning, why was she moaning?! It felt so good that she was losing herself along with him in his drunken stupor. Who would have known that Ladybug had such sensitive little wrists? He lazily dragged his mouth off of one wrist to give affection to the other, which had been, up until this point, left rather lonely in his tight grip.

"Chat.... Wait.... S-slow down..." she managed out through trembling lips. The boy was doing nothing but licking and suckling at her wrists, and it was all Ladybug could handle. Her knees felt weak below her and her body was trembling more then it ought to have. Even through that constant, pulsating rumble that was rattling her heart in her rib cage, Ladybug could feel Chat Noir's own heart beat, quick and unevenly paced, and it was enough to keep her thought process from going anywhere but in dirty places that she figured she'd never have to worry about with Chat Noir. Every lick, she imagined his mouth traveling down her body, every bite had her gasping for breath, and every hard, long suck had her wishing his mouth was about a foot and a half lower... She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip once more. 

No. No no Marinette, now was not the time to be thinking that way. He was her friend, her very best next to Alya, and she knew that he would be hurt if he knew what he was doing without her complete consent. Chat Noir was, after all, a gentleman at heart. That was enough for Ladybug to make her decision. With a push much much harder than before she lurched forwards, enough to push Chat's hot body away and to jolt him out of his haze, at least by a small amount. The cat boy looked like he'd been woken from a trance, blinking slowly and stupidly for a moment or two as Ladybug pulled the wrists that were tingling furiously up against her chest, trying to still her frantic heart. His purring had stopped all too quickly, and for a few minutes there was only the sounds of their harsh breathing, and Ladybug's own heartbeat pounding in her all too hot ears.

"My.... My Lady?" Ladybug's eyes flickered to the boy's face for the first time since they'd separated. Chat Noir's face was terribly flushed, and his lips were looking swollen and moist from all of the affections he'd been given her wrist. Ladybug looked up at him, and she watched as realization dawned on his face. He went pale all too quickly, and that cocky, quirky kitty of hers was in a flustered panic, "L-Ladybug, did I just?!? Oh my god. Oh my god I am so..." He covered his mouth, and Ladybug winced. The boy before her was quickly falling apart, and she didn't know what to do. Tell him off? Yell at him? Tell him it was all good, just an accident? As much bravado as he put out, Ladybug was more than aware at how sensitive this boy was. She knew it wasn't his fault, he'd literally had no idea what he was doing up until this point of time, evidently. And the last thing she wanted was for this boy to have a mental breakdown on a rooftop. That wouldn't go over too well.

"Chat." she stated, and the boy looked up. Her stomach knotted. He was trembling now, and he kept looking from her wrists to her face, "Chat, it's okay. I'm not mad." it was true, and while she didn't know what exactly she was feeling at that exact moment, it definitely wasn't anger, "I-I'm going to call off patrol for tonight, okay?" he looked like he was about to cry, "Chat it's okay."

"B-But Ladybug, I--"

"It was an accident, Chaton." she forced on a smile, and while it definitely wasn't one hundred percent genuine, it eased the boy a little bit, "I'm just a little ah..... I'm just a little surprised, okay? Not mad."

"Not mad?"

At this point he was looking more like a kicked puppy then a crime fighting cat. Ladybug's heart ached as she smiled at him, "Not mad, Chaton." Chat Noir swallowed, licking his swollen lips as he looked away from her, probably trying to urge down the tears that Marinette could evidently see in his eyes. "I will see you in two days, okay Chat? Just don't think about this too much. It was an accident." he nodded, but she wasn't sure if he was listening. Carefully, she reached out and took his hand, and he flinched, looking up to her. "Chat, it's okay. We're okay." Instinctively, she reached up on her tippy toes to gently press a kiss to his forehead. It was quick and chaste, something her maman did for her when she was feeling panicky. Something Alya did for her whenever she messed up around Adrien. It was a trust thing, and Chat Noir seemed to sense this as he relaxed visibly.

"Go home and rest, Chat." she smiled at him, and he smiled back, but if felt sad. It hurt to see him hurting, but it looked like it was going to be a tender wound for him for the next while. She let go of him and turned away, and with a final glance at him over her shoulder, she darted off into the night.

 

\---

 

It was only when Marinette was in the safety of her bedroom and no longer in her costume that she felt the weight of the situation burden itself upon her shoulders. She slumped onto her bed, Tikki flittering above her, "Wanna talk about it?" the little kwami asked. Marinette nodded numbly, but she continued to lay there for a short while more in the nearly complete silence of her room. Her eyes were fixed on the stars gleaming down at her through the window door that led out to her balcony. It had all happened so fast, far too fast. Her brain was working out the situation bit by bit.

Chat had gotten 'drunk' on the silvervine on her wrists. Chat had pinned her up against a chimney and had done his very best to thoroughly make out with said wrists. Marinette had been for the first time in all of her teenage years, extremely turned on by the actions of said Chat. Chat liked her. She liked Adrien, but did she like Chat? As a friend or? He had been on the verge of tears when he realized what he'd done. He nearly cried because he hadn't known what he was doing. Marinette never wanted to see that look on his face again. "Tikki....." Marinette groaned, pressing her palms against her eyelids, "What am I going to do?" this wasn't something she thought she'd ever have to talk about with her little kwami, with Chat Noir, with anyone. Tikki landed on her chest, watching her chosen one scrunch her face up from under her palms.

"Well...." Tikki began, looking down at her tiny red feet, "How did you feel?" it was the simplest question, but the hardest to answer. Marinette groaned and dropped her arms to her sides. Her wrists felt hot and almost swollen, but Marinette didn't want to look at them at this exact moment. She had to focus. How did she feel.... What did she feel exactly?

"... I was surprised at first, I guess.... A little scared.... But then... It felt so good and," Marinette swallowed, her fingers finding her wrists and running her fingers along each forearm, "It felt like I was being cherished. Like I was being praised like a goddess." it was the only way she could possibly explain it. Tikki sat on her chest, rising and falling with each breath, "I-it's hard to explain. It's like.... All of his feelings that he had for me were all pinpointed and focused, and he lost himself. It was overwhelming." Marinette breathed out a heavy sigh she hadn't realized she was holding in, "And... Well...." Tikki quirked her head, "If he had been himself.... If he'd been aware... I... I'm not sure if I'd have wanted him to stop." Marinette's face burned hot at the confession, and she rolled to her side, covering her face once more. Tikki was quick enough to flit up and off her before she got crushed. The little kwami was quiet, gently reaching down to pet Marinette's midnight blue hair. Marinette sighed again, peering down at her wrists and flushing. They were covered in bite marks and hickeys, dark and very, very obvious. Marinette groaned. She couldn't possibly go to school with her wrists looking like this. Alya would have an aneurysm and she'd NEVER hear the end of it from Chloe. That girl already made her life hard enough as it was, the last thing she needed was for her to be bouncing around the school spreading rumours. "What should I do, Tikki? You've been around nearly 5000 years, what would the other ladybugs have done?"

Tikki stopped patting Marinette's head, "Marinette, you are not the other ladybugs. They all had their own love problems... Most of them, however, didn't involve cat drugs," Marinette snorted, but didn't move besides that, fixated on the love bites across her skin, "I think you should let Chat Noir know how you feel." Marinette did look at her kwami then, curiousity across her face, "You like him Marinette. Don't deny it." Marinette opened her mouth to do just that, but snapped it shut, glaring at the little red bug, "You can keep telling yourself your heart belongs only to Adrien, but I know that's not entirely the truth. Chat Noir is someone you can be open with, he cares for you more than anyone, he would never do anything to purposely hurt you, and you would never do anything to hurt him. You care about him too much."

"Tikki, Chat Noir is one of my best friends. It's.... It's different." Marinette looked away again, focusing once more on her wrists. If she hadn't stopped him, how far would she had let him go? She absentmindedly traced a very prominent teeth impression, like a crescent moon, back and forth.

"Well whatever you're deciding on what to say or do, you have two days to do it. You can't leave the poor boy hanging like this." Tikki was right, and Marinette agreed wholeheartedly. She felt the weight on her bed shift, and she peered down to see the black cat standing at her feet, his big green eyes watching her curiously, before he curled up in the far corner, eyeing Tikki silently. Tikki sighed, "We should get to sleep. You're gonna have a long day tomorrow." Marinette simply nodded, and whispered goodnight to Tikki as she slipped under Marinette's pillow, hiding herself away from the glowing eyes of the cat at the end of the bed. Marinette rolled back onto her back, pulling up a blanket and staring up at the ceiling with tired eyes. 

She already knew that she wasn't going to be sleeping tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "CHAT NOIR YOU BRING YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW." Adrien jumped and paled. How did she--- When did she figure it out?! "CHAT, STOP RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME. CHAT!" a blur of movement bolted past his head, and Adrien nearly toppled back down the stairway, gripping hard on the latch of the door to steady himself. Was that.... Was that a cat?

The last thing he'd recalled was kissing her knuckles.

The first time he'd done it, an unknown scent had danced across his senses, sending his head spinning. He had just assumed it was the sensation of being with Ladybug, the same thrill he felt whenever he was around her. The second time he kissed her hand, the scent had been overwhelming, and from that point on he didn't recall much else besides sensations. Excitement, ecstacy, joy, possessiveness; they all swirled around his head, a mixture of colours and concepts, as opposed to actual realisations of what was going on around him. And her voice, her sweet, sweet voice... It echoed through his body, bouncing around inside his ribcage and wrapping around his heart. He was the reason she was sounding like that. He was the reason her body felt like fire under his mouth, against his chest, along his finger tips... He didn't taste her skin, but rather imagined it, just based off of the smell that was being illicited from her thin wrists. His head was a spinning haze, and it wasn't until he was tumbling back, lips no longer on her, that the world started coming back to him.

The first thing he'd noticed was how heavily he was breathing. It felt like he'd forgotten how to do just that and he panted heavily, taking in as much air as his lungs could possibly muster. The second thing he noticed was how far away Ladybug was. When did she get all the way over there? Why was he so far from her? Hadn't they been somewhere else a minute ago? And then he saw her face. She looked shocked, red with embarrassment. She was trembling, taking in shakey breathes just as he was. She was cradling her wrists. Wrists.... His lips were swollen, and from what he could see as his thought process became clear and he could focus, was that her wrists were coated in something wet. And he had saliva all across his chin, he could feel it; he very quickly had apang of semi-understanding, and a knot tugged tight in his stomach.

He'd done something to Ladybug.

Something probably weird to her wrists.

He couldn't remember.

"My.... My Lady?" his voice cracked out, and her brilliant sky blue eyes turned up to him. She looked anxious, and he paled. Whatever he'd done, he'd frightened her or upset her. He'd done something to hurt his lady. He inhaled a shakey breath, feeling a foreign panic swell in his chest where that warm sensation had just recently been, "L-Ladybug, did I just?!?" she glanced away from him, not wanting to make eye contact, "Oh my god. Oh my god I am so..." he brought his hand up to his mouth as he felt his stomach give a flop. And not the good kind. He was curling into himself as anixety began eating at his insides. He'd hurt her, Ladybug, the most important person in his life. She was going to hate him, he'd never be able to see her again, she'd never TRUST him again. He could feel the tears rising up in his face as he was hit with a wave of frantic emotions, far stronger than what he usually felt on any given day. It wasn't until she stated his name, in that strong, commanding voice of hers that he cracked out from his downward spiral. She was rubbing at her wrists, and he peered down at them, and back up to her face several times, his body trembling as he tried to keep it together.

"Chat, it's okay. I'm not mad." his stomach gave a lurch. She wasn't mad? Why not? She had every right to be mad, "I-I'm going to call off patrol for tonight, okay?" he tried to give his head a nod, but his neck muscles felt tense and he simply trembled instead. 

"Chat it's okay."

It wasn't okay though. It didn't sound okay, didn't look okay, and while it had felt okay for a while, it certainly wasn't feeling that way now. Chat Noir tried to stutter out an apology, but Ladybug shut him down, so he held his tongue. She was smiling.... Maybe he hadn't messed up as bad as he'd feared? "I'm just a little ah..... I'm just a little surprised, okay? Not mad." she did that cute little shrug that his lady did when she was uncertain about things, something he didn't see very often. Ladybug seemed to always be in control of the situations around her.

"Not mad?" he croaked out, needing to voice it aloud, know that one hundred percent, he could fix this thing he'd done.

Her next smile made his heart swell, and if he hadn't known better, he could have sworn that it had fluttered right out of his body and into the silent parisian night. He swallowed audibly, not realising how tight his throat was, and licked at his swollen lips, glancing away to reign in his frantic emotions. He didn't know what was happening- yeah, he'd been called soft hearted before, but his emotions were never this wild, this raw. He was all over the place, and it was almost physically painful. His lady was speaking again, and all he could do was nod numbly, the grasp on his volatile heart far too weak for his liking. He was just about under control when her hand grabbed his, and he jumped at the sudden contact, it having knocked him out of his trance like state. He turned to look into her eyes, so pure and bright, and the next thing he knew, a pair of soft lips were up against his forehead.

Just a little kiss and he was melting away into a squishy kitty puddle. He gave a shudder as she began pulling away from him, and his heart ached terribly at the parting.

"Go home and rest, Chat." he could only nod and smile the best he could muster, and with one last look to him she was gone, leaving him alone in the dark.

 

\---

 

"So are you going to tell me what the hell happened back there? Or am I going to have to cut off your cheese supply." to say Adrien was upset would be an understatement. It had taken him a while to feel like he had control of himself after Ladybug had left, and the minute he did he was booking it home, because that had been bizarre and terrifying and he knew Plagg would know what went down just then and there. Said kwami was pouting a few feet away, his snarky little face scrunched up in a little knot. Adrien turned to glare at him when the tiny cat didn't respond right away, and cleared his throat loudly. "Plagg, I'm serious. Answer me right now." Plagg gave a grunt, turning to shoot Adrien the best death stare he could muster, which, considering he was only a few inches tall, was quite impressive.

"What happened there was my feline tendencies got the best of you and you tried to eat Ladybug's arms off." Plagg shrugged, and Adrien paled, his mouth falling open.

"I-I what?!" there was no way in hell he'd resorted to cannibalising the love of his life, no way, "What do you mean?! That explains nothing, Plagg. I want answers! Why did I get so overwhelmed like that? Whatever happened tonight, it can't--no. It won't happen again." she couldn't look like that, not again. He was there to support her, to protect her, to love her. He wasn't meant to hurt her. "One minute everything seemed normal, and the next.... I don't even know what happened there! Everything got.... Weird." how else could he explain it? He couldn't remember the details, only the sensation. It had been euphoric, to say the least. Plagg was giving him a look, and Adrien shot the look right back. He knew the kwami was scrutinizing him; he didn't care, "Plagg." he repeated the name, and the little cat growled in frustration.

"Actinidia polygama." Adrien blinked, and Plagg flustered, "Your Ladybug was wearing silvervine, okay?!" the little cat finally blurted, and Adrien knitted his brow together in confusion, "It's.... It's a flower, alright? A plant that people have used for many centuries to mess with felines. It's a cursed, wretched thing, and I HATE it." if Plagg hadn't been completely black, Adrien was positive the kwami would have been red with fury, "It overloaded you, overloaded us." Adrien pondered this for a few moments, before it hit him. And then he hit himself, right in the forehead with the palm of his hand. She'd been talking about a spray to help with her pet sitting problems. Ladybug had obviously used it on herself.

"So... what I'm hearing is Ladybug accidentally drugged us."

"Yes. She drugged us."

"And you knew and literally did nothing about it."

"Well, Adrien, in case you hadn't noticed YOU'RE the one who wears the ring." Plagg snipped back, "The only way I could have possibly stopped that from happening is if I'd dropped your transformation. Would you rather I'd done that? Blown your cover? Besides, how was I supposed to know you'd react that way! You kids and your crazy teenage hormones. If I had been aware of what was going to happen before it did I probably could have reeled it in, but someone's crazy 'feels' threw me for a loop and I could do butt all." Plagg sneered at him, and Adrien could only sigh, his body dropping beneath him to land on his bed with a flop. Plagg, as cranky and snippy as he was, was right. There hadn't exactly been a way out of a situation like that. He would just have to make sure to be careful around her from this point forwards. The boy grimaced; nothing could be worse for him at this point in time. Plagg, who seemed to begin winding down from his attitude flair, gave a sigh and shook his little black head, catching Adrien's eye, "There's no point getting all moody about it. Now we know for next time, and hopefully I can stop you before you make a fool of yourself. Again." with that said, Plagg tittered off, muttering something about a mountain of cheese, and Adrien was left with his thoughts. With a sigh, he covered his face with his hands. 

It was going to be a long night.

 

\---

 

After getting little to no sleep (he'd kept trying to recall exactly what happened, and kept feeling excessively guilty of it shortly thereafter), Adrien managed his way to class. Tired as he was, he knew very well he had to keep face, so he tried his best to look as chipper as possible as he stepped through the classroom doorway. As he dropped his bag and took his seat next to Nino, the boy couldn't help but hear an exasperated groan from one of the seats behind him. "Come on Alya, I'm sure she's fine," the boy next to him chuckled to the redheaded girl behind them. Adrien glanced inbetween them, before it occurred to him that a certain dark haired pink loving girl wasn't in the seat next to her friend.

"If she was fine she wouldn't have called in today! She kept sending me these weird texts all night, I'm worried, Nino. That girl never gets sick." Alya groaned out, rubbing her temples in frustration, "Besides, we were gonna go out fabric shopping today! Marinette never turns down fabric shopping, sick or not! And she did." Alya noticed that another person had silently joined their conversation, and gave Adrien a glance over her glasses, "Oh hey there, Adrien." Adrien gave her a crooked smile, but knitted his brows together in concern as he glanced back once again at Marinette's empty desk.

"So uh, didn't mean to eavesdrop," Alya snorted and Nino gave a chuckle of his own, "But Marinette is not well?" Alya sighed and shook her head no, and Adrien looked down at his own desk, "Ah, that's a shame then. I was hoping she'd be around for lunch to talk about an upcoming chemistry project we had." he gave a little sigh, "She makes for a good partner." Alya gave a groan and muttered something under her breath, before burying her face in her hands with an exasperated sigh. Adrien gave Nino a questioning look, to which the other boy quirked a brow and shrugged. "Maybe I will see if she's feeling better later, and drop by? That way we can talk about that project before it gets too late. Do you... think she'd be okay with that? I mean, I can catch her up on today's work. Are we getting any handouts today?" at this, Alya's head flipped up, causing both boys in the front row to jump back a little in surprise. Alya had a huge grin on her face.

"She. Would. Love. That." she beamed out, and Adrien simply smiled back nervously. It was always a little intimidating when Alya got that.... Very specific look in her eyes. It happened pretty much whenever they talked about Marinette, and while it was a little weird, it was good to see someone cared so much about the sweet, shy girl that sat behind him. Alya was pushing up from her desk then, still beaming, "I'm gonna go get those handouts before class starts. Hang tight boys." and with that, she was off. Adrien and Nino watched her go with curious eyes, and Nino chuckled when her bouncy red hair was finally out of sight.

"Someone is excitable first thing in the morning." Nino laughed, and Adrien could only nod in response, a smile splitting across his face. Seeing Marinette would definitely help him keep his mind from wandering to last nights rather unfortunate series of events... Or atleast he hoped that would be the case.

 

\---

 

Arriving in the Dupain-Cheng bakery was always a special treat for Adrien. While he hadn't been given the opportunity to do so much in the past year or so that he'd known Marinette, it was one of his favourite places to be. Stepping through the front door and hearing the little bell chime to declare his presence, the warm air brushed against his wind chilled face. The entire building smelt of freshly baked bread, and Adrien had to take a moment to inhale all the delectable scents around him. Had he been Chat Noir at this present moment, he was sure his nose would be going haywire right about now. While he stood there with his eyes closed, taking in the sweet smells all around, he failed to notice Marinette's mother appear behind the counter directly adjacent to him, her curious look splitting into a warm smile across her heart shaped face. "Adrien, my dear, it's been a while!" she chirped out, and Adrien jolted out of his euphoria to smile broadly at the petite woman before him. She made her way out from behind the counter and wrapped him in a warm hug, to which he flushed. He forgot just how darling and inviting Marinette's mother was.

"Good afternoon, Misses Dupain-Cheng," he chuckled out as the woman pulled away, still keeping contact by gently resting her hands against Adrien's upper arms, "I'm here to talk to Marinette about a school project, as well as to deliver her missing work from today. Is she.... Is she feeling better?" Marinette's mother's smile positively glowed, and the sunkissed boy melted. Marinette's mother- no, not just her- Marinette's entire family made him feel more at home than the familiar and cold marble corridors of his own abode could ever possibly manage. This was a home with a loving family, a home that he could come to for a warm embrace that he always desperately needed, a home where he was always acknowledged, and felt loved in. Marinette's mother led the boy behind the front counter, chatting away about something, but Adrien was too lost in his own thoughts to really focus on them. Family.... He wished his home life was even one hundredth of an inch closer ot this then it was now. If it was, maybe he wouldn't feel so terribly lonely all the time.

"Marinette, you have company! I'm sending him up your way!" Marinette's maman called up towards the trap door that Adrien had only been through once or twice before. He turned to her and thanked her, and she smiled back, "Have fun, dear. I hope you can cheer her up, she's been in a sulk all day long. If you need anything, Tom and I are just downstairs." Adrien smiled and waited for the older woman to wander off back towards the front of the store, before he began the trek up towards Marinette's bedroom. He could hear thumping from up above and muffled words, so Marinette was definitely awake. With a last deep breath, Adrien stretched upwards and reached up to push the door above his head open.

"CHAT NOIR YOU BRING YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW." Adrien jumped and paled. How did she--- When did she figure it out?! "CHAT, STOP RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME. CHAT!" a blur of movement bolted past his head, and Adrien nearly toppled back down the stairway, gripping hard on the latch of the door to steady himself. Was that.... Was that a cat? Marinette didn't have a cat, did she? Adrien jumped again as an angry growl broke out from where the black cat had just bolted from, and he winced down as a much larger, much louder blur started past him. This blur, however, caught it's foot on the opened door and tumbled forward with a yelp, landing in a heap infront of him as Adrien flinched away.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" he gasped out, forgetting his panic as he pushed the door open to go to the girl. She groaned, rubbing the back of her head with a wince. Adrien couldn't help but take in the girl's shabby appearance as he helped her to her feet; she looked as though she hadn't slept for the past week, her hair in tangled, wild pigtails and her face pale and grayish. Her long pyjamas that she was wearing (ladybug pattern, how cute) were rumpled, covered in black cat hair, and ontop of her shirt sleeves were a dark pair of arm warmers. She rubbed her head groggily, her eyes pinched together as she shook her head back and forth. And then those same eyes snapped open, and she turned to look up at him, instantly going beet red. His eyes widened too at her shock and his heart leapt into his throat. They were just too blue, this close up, and memories from last night flooded his system like a crashing wave, although he wasn't quite sure why Marinette of all people would do that to him. It must have been the pjs.

"A-A-Adrien?!? What are you my--ahhh--- wh-what are you here doing to me?! I-I mean, wh-what are you doing here?! In my room!?" she flustered out, backing away from him in surprise. She went to step back again, but her foot caught in a little pink food bowl on the floor and she flailed with a yelp as it slipped out from under her, tumbling backwards while kibbles scattered the floor. Thankfully Adrien had some quick moves, even when not in his leather suit, and caught her fast by the waist before she fell flat on her bottom, pulling her close. Her previously pale face was pink and flushed, and she was staring up at him in shock. He couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up and out of his throat.

"Hey Marinette, you look like you're feeling better." he grinned out, finally letting go of the girl, who stepped away quickly, fumbling with the bottom of her pyjama top and biting her lip. It wasn't something he was surprised by; this was how Marinette was, and it was cute. Almost endearing to him.

"A-Adrien, I- um...." her eyes snapped up then, and she gasped, "Oh no, Chat Noir!" he froze once more, but she failed to notice as she turned her head away, searching her room frantically, "Where did that stupid cat go?!" she darted away from him, landing on her knees to peer under her desk. Adrien let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Chat Noir was the cat. Right. Like Marinette would ever think he was actually Chat Noir. As Marinette continued her frantic searching (Adrien had apparently been forgotten), the blond haired boy peered around her room. It was just as much of a mess as Marinette was currently; it looked as though she'd torn it apart. He couldn't help but blush a little when he noted that her walls were LITTERED with his face (although to be perfectly honest, he was sure his face was on MOST teenage girls' bedroom walls). Amongst posters of himself, Adrien found some cutouts of Ladybug and Chat Noir from magazines (damn they looked good together in photos), some school pictures (ones he'd actually been present for), photos of herself and Alya, and some family photos from vacations long since past (Marinette had been a very, very cute little girl). He was brought back from his little world as Marinette gave a triumphant shout behind him, and he turned to see her gripping 'Chat Noir' the inky black cat by the scruff in one hand, and a little red... Pin cushion? In the other.

"I see you got what you were looking for." he stated outloud, and Marinette paled as her head swivelled back in his direction. If her face was any indication, she had most definitely forgotten the boy in the room. She floundered, once again turning red as she dropped the cat and tucked whatever the red thing was behind her back and out of his eyesight. "Anyways, uh... Sorry for the intrusion, but I brought the school work you missed from today." he managed out, catching one of the straps of his backpack to pull it infront to show her, "I didn't have your phone number but I figured that Alya would have let you know I was popping by." Marinette's face shifted into an angry glare at nothing in particular, but just as quickly changed back to embarrassed. It seemed to be her regular look when around him, after all, "So if you have a second, um, I'd be more than happy to go over everything with you." She nodded numbly, and he went to her, sitting down on her chaise lounge and looking up to her expectantly. She flushed deeply, and carefully sat down next to him, tucking some wild, loose hairs behind her ears and attempting to straighten out her appearance. 

"Alright, let's see.... In history we have to cover chapter 17, here's the handout to that... Language studies was.... This page here..." trembling wool clothed fingers took those papers, "Mathmatics is pretty straight forwards, you missed learning trigonometry but I'm sure you can catch up on that relatively quickly, I mean, if you need a hand there are plenty of people who'd help out.... Oh! And Chemistry, we gotta start working on our project sometime soon. Here's the outline on what we have to work on. I figured I could work on the more formula related stuff, and then you could work on the hands on things, if that was alright with you." he smiled as she took the last few pages from him, but couldn't help but stare at her hands. She seemed to notice him staring too, and blushed fervently under his gaze. His curiousity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "So uh, are arm warmers in again and I wasn't informed?"

The girl in question froze up, her grip on the papers tightening, "Ah, um.... Y-yes?" she managed out, tucking her face shyly into the collar of her pyjamas. It honestly just made her look even redder in contrast, "I-I mean...It was uh.... It was cold in here?" Adrien's brows raised inquisitively, and Marinette flustered further, "I-I get chills when I'm s-s-sick is all! S-so I was just trying to warm my arms up." she laughed out, although the laugh sounded a bit too high and tense to sound legitimate. Was she.... Lying to him? What did she have to hide, honestly? His face must have given away his thought process, because she paled quite quickly, "T-they seemed like they would warm me up! My arms. Yeah, because it was just my arms that were cold. I'm feeling better now though! So, um...." it sounded awkward, but he supposed she wouldn't be Marinette if it didn't. He just shrugged and smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Reaching out, he gently patted the top of the girl's clothed hand, and Marinette blushed once more. She was so cute when she blushed.

"Well as long as you're alright, princess." the word had slipped out before he could stop it, and he paused at how her head jerked up to look at his face. It was Adrien's turn to fluster, biting the inner part of his cheek at the slip of his tongue, before he managed to slip a model quality smile on, "A-anyways Marinette, I'm sure you need to rest up... And work on some of that homework of yours," he fumbled out, hauling himself to his feet in one graceful motion, "I hope to see you tomorrow in class." the way her face lit up into such a brilliant smile was enough to have his heart dancing. It was so much like Ladybug's that he had to take a double take, and before he could begin questioning things, he excused himself from the room.

 

\---

 

Adrien returned home with a grunt, flopping down on his bed face first. Somewhere above his head he could hear-and smell- Plagg munching on some grotesque fancy cheese. "Can you NOT do that above my bed?" the boy groaned out, flicking his wrist and attempting to swat the kwami away. Plagg simply floated himself out of Adrien's reach and continued to stuff his little kitty face, leaving Adrien moaning in frustration. 

"You know I need my camembert, Adrien. What if an akuma attacked right this moment, and I was far too frail and weak to do anything to help?" Adrien rolled his eyes from where he lay, and Plagg obviously didn't notice, or didn't care, as he continued in one of his drama-queen flits, "You would say 'Oh my strong and powerful partner Plagg! I must rescue mon petite princesse, please! Help me with your almighty power and general amazingness!'" Plagg was probably throwing one of his tiny paws dramatically over his cheese covered face about now, "And I will say 'I'm so sorry, young Adrien! My stomach is simply too empty to help!' And you would be stuck as just Adrien, and your lady would be left as nothing more than a damsel in distress." Adrien could hear the kwami pause to take another bite out of his cheese, "Honestly, boy, you should be groveling at my feet for all I do for you. If it wasn't for me, you'd never see your beloved Ladybug." 

"Yeah yeah, I've heard it a hundred times, Plagg. Thanks for rubbing it in. You can still eat ANYWHERE else. I sleep here." the boy sat up now, rubbing his hands over his face. He wasn't going to mention the fact that the kwami was also the reason things were.... Iffy between himself and his Ladybug at the moment, because after hearing Plagg grumble about it half the night before, the last thing he wanted was for the little fuzzball to go on another tangent. Adrien sat on his bed, honestly too tired to even think about doing his homework. He was pretty good at keeping up on his studies, so tonight was one of those nights where he wasn't too particularly concerned. With a heavy sigh, Adrien turned to reach for a remote, lying back on his bed to flip on the television. He wasn't looking for anything in particular to watch, he just wanted to look at something that would help him not think. 

Speaking of thinking.... Marinette, sweet little Marinette, apparently had a cat named after him. As he flicked through channels, he couldn't help but smile at that. Was she a fan of the leather wearing boy? They had interacted a few times when he was in the suit. He must have left a good impression. Maybe little Mari had a crush on Chat Noir? It was almost enough to put him in a good mood... Had he not still been fairly bummed over the incident the night prior. He continued to press through channel after channel, eyes glazing over as he got exactly what he was hoping for.... A lack of thought. After nearly 20 minutes of channels (there were FAR too many to even bother counting), he began to doze on his bed.

"---Monster is currently at the---" Adrien's eyelid's felt heavy, "---Citizens have been asked to keep---" he couldn't keep them open, "---Ladybug has been doing her best to---"

That one word snapped him out of his sleepy stupor, and he sat up straight as a board.

As fate would have it (very very convenient fate, that is was), Adrien had stopped flicking channels on a news channel. Ladybug was on the tv. She was fighting something that looked like.... A garbage truck with teeth? Adrien swallowed at the sudden lump in his throat, feeling his body go rigid with anxiousness. Ladybug needed him. Needed Chat Noir. But.... Should he go? What if.... What if something happened again? What if Plagg couldn't keep his head and they bother got 'overloaded'? He could be more of a hindrance than help if that happened..... No. The blond shook his head furiously, angered with his sudden hesitation. No. Ladybug needed his help, and he was always there for her, no matter what. She needed him just as bad as he needed her. He was just going to have to trust and rely on Plagg, and pray that for once in his life, he would have some of Ladybug's luck on his side.

"Good thing you just ate all of that cheese, Plagg." Adrien stated as he stood up, hearing the cat groan in frustration from across the room. The cat in question put down his remaining chunk of cheese, giving Adrien a tired 'do we have to?' look. Adrien simply nodded at the kwami, taking in a slow inhale. He couldn't turn his head the other way when his lady was in peril. With one last glance at the television, Adrien straightened himself up.

"Plagg, transform me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this chapter was a bit of a struggle but I hope you guys enjoy! I promise more will happen in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "For a superhero you are so weak, so tiny..." Poubellion laughed manically, and Ladybug then decided it would have been better to call Chat Noir, most definitely. She was going to have her head popped off because she had been stubborn with her feelings.

Marinette's day had been a roller coaster of emotions.

After calling in sick to school (she'd told her maman that she needed a mental health day, and given the look of the poor girl, Sabine obliged graciously), Marinette had spent the morning furiously knitting arm warmers for herself. She'd finished them in a spectacular amount of time, and the minute she could she yanked them on, congratulating herself on successfully finding a way to cover those goddamn 'love marks' given to her by a certain stupid chaton. It was, after all, quite cold outside, so when she wore them to school there shouldn't be any suspicions as to her new fashion choices. That had taken up her whole morning, and at some point after she'd passed out on her chaise lounge. She had been woken abruptly several hours later by Tikki's panicked cries for help, and had bolted upright from the chaise to find cat Chat Noir a top her desk, frantic little kwami in his toothy mouth. Marinette had chased him around her room for nearly half an hour, before the 'interruption' happened.

She hadn't been expecting company.

She hadn't anticipated tripping over her trap door in pursuit of the devil cat.

She nearly threw up her own heart when she'd been helped up by none other than Adrien Agreste.

Knowing her luck, he'd shown up in her room magically because she was an absolute disaster, physically and emotionally. In classic Marinette fashion she'd panicked at the boy, THE boy, being in her room, and proceeded to nearly kill herself once more (honestly, she was surprised she hadn't concussed herself a thousand times over with her clumsiness), only to be rescued by the walking sunshine himself once again. If Marinette hadn't thrown up her own heart yet, she was definitely going to. Hearing Chat Noir scamper somewhere in the background had temporarily caught her attention again, and she knew Tikki was still in trouble of being eaten by the black furball, so she set herself on catching him.

...Completely forgetting Adrien's presence in her room in the process. She was tired, alright??

After successfully yanking Tikki from mini Chat's mouth, Marinette was reminded that she had company, and thought two things right away; 1: Oh god what if he saw Tikki shoot this will be so hard to explain, and 2: Adrien Agreste is still in your room, which is decorated with Adrien Agreste's, and you FORGOT ABOUT HIM BEING THERE YOU MORON. Thankfully despite her blunders, polite, friendly, perfect Adrien chose to not mention anything about what had just occurred. She was literally going to kill Chat Noir (the cat) the next time she got her hands on him. And Alya, for that matter, for not having mentioned ONCE that Adrien was going to be 'popping by'. Kill her, but then hug her back to life for sending this angel of a boy to her room. But definitely kill her first. The next minute she was sitting next to him, close enough that she could count every single eyelash that fluttered over his emerald eyes, memorize how his blond locks fell angelically to frame his perfect model face, lose herself in the movements of his lips... She knew she should have been paying attention to what EXACTLY he'd been saying, but Marinette's brain was on autopilot. It wasn't until she noticed that his lips had stopped moving and those beautiful green eyes had been averted to her hands that she came back from lalaland.

Under his gaze Marinette panicked, feeling like the arm warmers weren't even wrapped around her arms. Like he could see right through them to the marks she'd been so desperate to cover up. In an attempt to cover her own ass Marinette blabbed out the first lame ass excuse she could think of, and continued to dig herself a hole as Adrien looked more and more disbelieving at her words. Marinette was a horrible liar to begin with; lying to her crush just made it one hundred times worse. Adrien then did two things that Marinette never thought he'd ever do ever.

He touched her hands in a comforting gesture.

He called her Princess.

Surprisingly enough, she was more shocked by the second action Adrien had taken than the first. Princess... Only Chat Noir ever called her that, and it had her breath catching in her lungs, confusion and shock spreading through her entire body. Even more interesting, Adrien seemed more taken aback by the word then she did. They both seemed to be frozen for a short period of time, and just like that, the moment was gone. Adrien was excusing himself from her presence, which to Marinette was both a blessing and a curse, and left after shortly after flashing her the most dazzling smile she'd ever been given the blessing to see.

And then she was alone. Well, hypothetically speaking, of course.

After the most overwhelming half an hour of her entire existence, she'd been temporarily numbed to all other feelings, her body having experienced so much emotion in such a short period of time that it had pretty much shut down most of her brain. She played with Chat Noir, needing to use the silvervine because otherwise he was just too much of a prick to deal with, chatted to Tikki about nothing in particular (it was a very one sided conversation from the little bug's side), and lay on her bed, in absolute awe of the events that had occurred earlier.

She came back around when her phone lit up, notifying her that the Ladyblog had posted something. Rolling onto her side, Marinette slid open the Ladyblog app, and paled. There was currently an akuma attack happening downtown, and of course Alya had been the first person on the scene. Marinette didn't hesitate to transform and was out the door to her balcony faster then you could say 'transform me'. Looks like her roller coaster of a day wasn't over, after all.

 

\---

 

Ladybug was thrown up against the wall of a building, letting out a shout of pain as her back made contact with the red brick behind her. Hawkmoth had outdone himself with the akuma this time; the trash disposal man that had been akumatized was the size of a garbage truck, and no matter how Ladybug looked at him she could only think of those Transformer guys from those 80's cartoons. Except this guy was literally turning everyone and everything in trash cans. As lame as his evil power was, he was still a truck sized metal monster, and having fought him on her own for a good forty minutes, Ladybug knew she was in desperate need of help. Help from a certain kitty cat that she was conflicted about calling. She was still a mess of emotion from the night before, and knowing she'd used more silvervine earlier, was worried about how he'd react to the cat drug while in the middle of a battle. She knew deep down, however, that she wouldn't be able to defeat this enemy without him. She NEEDED Chat Noir, just as she'd needed him through every other akuma attack before. She wasn't complete without him.

Wobbling to her feet (damn she was gonna be hecka bruised later), Ladybug shook her head from side to side to stop the world from spinning. She needed to focus. 'Poubellion' (seriously Hawkmoth thought up the stupidest names for his villains) was coming her way, giant wheel clad heels hitting the pavement heavy. Realising that he had every intention of ramming her for the upteenth time that evening, Ladybug threw up her arms in front of her to help brace herself from the impact, and was slammed up against the wall once more, crumbling through the brick that couldn't stay together from the force. Poubellion had her clutched tight in one hand, yanking her from the rubble of the brick wall to hold her up to his metallic face. Her yoyo and her right arm were clasped tight in his grip, and her left arm was pressing into his metal hand, trying to push herself free from his death grip.

"You have something that lord Hawkmoth wants, and they will be mine." the talking garbage truck sneered robotically, and Ladybug struggled in his monstrous grip, turning her eyes up to leer at him.

"Good luck trying to get them from my ears with those giant metal fingers of yours," she snapped back. Despite her situation Ladybug was as fierce as ever. She was more worried knowing that Alya was still tromping around somewhere on the street than about her own safety. Once or twice she'd seen the redhead recklessly dart out to get a better angle when filming. Her friend was going to get herself in serious trouble one of these days.

"Who says I need to take them from your ears? I will just bring him your head." the metal man laughed, and Ladybug glared, wriggling desperately. Two very large fingers pressed themselves on either side of her head and halted her movement, putting on pressure as the heroine let out a pained hiss through gritted teeth, "For a superhero you are so weak, so tiny..." Poubellion laughed manically, and Ladybug then decided it would have been better to call Chat Noir, most definitely. She was going to have her head popped off because she had been stubborn with her feelings... To be honest, she wasn't surprised at all that this was the way she was going to go, although she would have rather died at the hands of something that didn't remove garbage for a living. Poubellion was slowly pulling upwards, stretching and straining her neck simultaneously. The pain was unbearable; she couldn't help the anguished cry that escaped her lips as her neck muscles felt like tearing. "Time to squash this little bug!" Ladybug's eyes squeezed shut, praying for a miracle.

"How dare you TRASH TALK my lady!"

...

......

Of COURSE her miracle would show up with a horrible pun like that.

Reminding herself to groan at the terrible pun later, Ladybug's eyes flung open, spotting her leather clad companion as he flung himself through the air, landing on Poubellion's shoulders as the akumatized machine man roared furiously. Apparently being a garbage truck meant that he had a one track mind, because his focus changed to Chat Noir and he released Ladybug from his grip, her body hitting the pavement below with a dull thump. If she wasn't sore from being thrown around like a ragdoll all evening, she was definitely going to be sore from that. Gathering up her yo-yo after a moment of temporary daze, she darted far enough away that she was out of harm's reach, and was soon joined by Chat Noir, who had somehow successfully managed to knock the transformer wannabe off his feet, stunning him.

"Good timing, Chat." she breathed out, looking up to her partner and meeting his brilliant green eyes. Said eyes stared back down at her, and she could tell there was conflict there. His posture was standard Chat Noir; cocky, cheeky, and a little too proud for his own good. His eyes, however.... They were brimming with worry, with words that didn't need to be said to be heard. He was terrified, but not for himself, not about the akuma before them. She'd seen this look on his face once before, when he thought she'd been devoured by a gigantic tyrannosaurus rex. He thought he'd nearly lost her. Guilt flooded her core, and she had to revert her eyes least she be overtaken by the boy's unwavering emotions.

"Why didn't you call me?" Chat Noir murmured, eyes ever fixed on her, even in her peripheral vision.

"Sorry, but we can talk about that later." it wasn't a promise, but Ladybug knew that Chat Noir would accept that for now. They both knew that before they dealt with any of their personal problems that they had to defeat the akuma first. Ladybug's focus turned to said akuma, who was still trying to get up off his back, but was too large and heavy to do it at a pace that was any good. Like a giant metal turtle he kept wobbling back and forth, giant hands reaching desperately at the sky as if it would somehow help him to his feet. It appeared that Chat Noir had finally focused as well, because she heard him growl ferally at the villain and shift his feet next to her, taking up a fighting stance.

"Where's the akuma?"

"I'm not sure yet, we've been fighting nearly an hour now and I haven't been able to think of where it is."

"You've been fighting for an hour without me? What a waste of my talents."

"...Please tell me you didn't just use the word 'waste' as a pun, Chat."

"...To be honest I didn't even think about that. Now, however..." Ladybug couldn't help but shoot the cat a glare, but he was grinning back at her and her heart jumped. She'd been so worried that he wouldn't be able to smile at her like that after the night before, and couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over her. Sure, nearly dying hadn't phased her one bit, but thinking about her kitty not being able to smile at her like he always did sent her stomach into knots. Typical.

Poubellion was finally managing to sit up, snapping her attention back to him. Right. "Chat, keep him down. If he gets back on his feet then he's pretty much unstoppable until he runs into something. Trust me on that one." Chat Noir nodded and was about to dart off to do his duties, when Ladybug's arm caught his. He instantly froze up, turning to look at her with wide eyes.

"My Lady?" he asked, and Ladybug swallowed. He looked too surprised by her motion, it was enough to break her heart.

"...Please be careful, Chat." she murmured, just loud enough for his sensitive ears to hear. They were frozen in time then, simply staring into each other's eyes. Chat Noir was the first to move. With a hard swallow and a nod, he managed to flash her a meek smile, before he gently pulled from her touch. And then he was off, flinging himself towards the trash machine. Ladybug wasn't far behind him, swinging her yo-yo and flinging it, catching a streetlamp and hauling herself up. While Chat Noir distracted Poubellion, she'd finally have an opportunity to spot his weak spot... Her body felt heavy and sore but she stood up straight and strong, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary on the truckman while she had the chance.

It became apparent it was easier to find what she was looking for once Poubellion's actions were focused elsewhere; it only took a few minutes of Chat Noir keeping him pretty much pinned to the ground that she spotted it. Among his trash greased parts wedged in amongst tubes and coils that mimicked a rib cage was a small glimmer. Ladybug's eyes widened. A name tag. The trash disposal man's name tag. "Chat, it's the name tag!" she screamed, and Chat's body posture reacted in a way that she knew he heard her. They were on the offensive then, Ladybug casting Lucky Charm and Chat Noir activating Cataclysm. As if they could read each other's minds, they suddenly moved in perfect synchronization; Chat Noir's clawed hand reached out to swipe at the lamp post Ladybug had stationed herself on, the heavy steel pole crashing down onto Poubellion's chest as Ladybug catapulted off of it. The sickening sound of metal crunching metal echoed through the street way, and Poubellion let out a garbled yell. Ladybug landed on Poubellion's chest shortly thereafter, pulling on her lucky charm, a mechanic's glove, and looking to Chat Noir, ignoring the way Poubellion whined and groaned beneath her.

"Yes, My Lady?" he grinned out, and Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"I know you want to say it, just say it already."

"Say what, my lady?"

Ladybug groaned. It was good he was being so cheeky; that meant that he was okay, but now wasn't the time to be a brat, "Just say the stupid pun, Chat."

"Well.... If you insist." Ladybug rolled her eyes dramatically, reaching into Poubellion's coils to yank out the name tag, snapping it in one hand just as Chat sneered out, "Time to take out the trash!"

He was really damn lucky that she was pitying him right now, or she would have strangled him for having such shitty puns all the time.

As she cleansed the akuma, the body beneath her began to bubble away, the darkness seeping out of sight. Now beneath the lamp post, his chest mere inches away from the pole, was a young trash disposal man, groaning indignantly. On instinct Ladybug turned to Chat Noir and they fist bumped, indicating the end of the fight. Ladybug yanked off her glove, and threw it up in the air shortly afterwards. All around her Tikki's magic came to life, changing the countless garbage bins around the street back into people and items alike. The lamp post magically altered itself vertically, the numerous buildings that had been damaged reconstructed themselves, and the potholes and grooves left by Poubellion in the concrete filled and leveled. Just like every time they cleansed an akuma everything was better in the blink of an eye.

All around people cheered, and Ladybug put on her best public smile, giving a wave despite the pains that ached through her shoulders. Beside her Chat waved as well, blowing kisses towards his adoring fans. Alya was seen somewhere in the background, chatting in an animated fashion to her phone, and Marinette knew she was summing up how awesome she thought the battle had been. While distracted, Ladybug failed to noticed Chat Noir's arm slide around her, until his hand gripped her side and she yelped, leering up at him.

"Stay safe, Paris! We're off!" he cheered out, and their audience cheered back. Instinctually Ladybug wrapped an arm around him as he used his staff to catapult them away from the noise, holding firm on her as he distanced them from prying eyes. As he ran with her in his arms, it occurred to Ladybug that Chat Noir was holding his breath, and she looked up in surprise when he finally let her down, taking a few steps away, and then inhaled deeply, swallowing air as though he hadn't breathed for ages.

"Uh... Chat?"

"Sorry... You're...." he panted out, fixing her with his peridot orbs, "You're wearing it again, aren't you? The silvervine." Ladybug stiffened, looking at him with wide eyes. Chat Noir swallowed, looking nervous then, "Ah, um.... M-my kwami told me about it. Said that's what made me, well.... You know." he cleared his throat, but didn't elaborate. She knew well enough. The silence between them was thick then, the only sound being cars somewhere in the distance. Ladybug twiddled her fingers, trying to come up with something to say and failing miserably. She hadn't anticipated seeing him, hadn't prepared what she wanted to say yet. "So... Why didn't you call me?" Chat's voice cut through the silence, and Ladybug felt something in her belly burn numb. She wasn't ready for this talk, just as she hadn't been ready to confess her emotions to Tikki the night prior. It still had to be done though. Something had to be said.

Realising that the silence had stretched, Ladybug's eyes turned up to Chat Noir's face, and her heart gave an ache again. He was hurting, and his eyes pleaded for her to say something, anything. "I...." she began, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind at once. What could she say? "I thought I could handle this one my own." it was a half true statement. When she'd come across the akuma she had thought it was going to be an easy battle; go in, get the akumatized item, get out, go back home and try to function like a normal human being. It hadn't been that easy, evidently, and she had nearly been killed. Hell, she was amazed she was still standing, with her body aching like a building had crashed down on her.... Well, if she was going to be technical about this, two buildings had, in fact, fallen on top of her, but that was besides the point. The point was now that even with her excuse, Chat's eyes never ceased to bore into her skull. She felt queasy with guilt, and one hand came up to clutch at her chest, feeling like a rock was stuck in her throat.

"You.... You didn't want me there, did you?" Ladybug could feel the sting of his words, the hurt that dripped from every one of them, "You're mad at me, after all." she was choking on her tongue, his emotions were too raw. Unable to respond, Ladybug shook her head from side to side, feeling her pigtails bounce against her ears. "Then... Why? My lady, I... You..." he was moving towards her, and her heart skipped a beat. She shifted back and he froze in place. Ladybug couldn't look at his face. That one motion had hurt him more than anything, she knew, but she couldn't risk him losing his head again. It was more for him than her, but whether he acknowledged that or not, the girl was unsure. She could hear his breathing becoming unstable, and she swallowed as his voice broke, "You nearly died, Ladybug." she had to look at him then, and her heart crumbled at what she saw.

Like the night before, tears glossed over his eyes. This time though they were tumbling, leaking down his face as he bit his bottom lip. This wasn't her chaton, her boy never let himself get this bad. Ladybug flustered, needing to remedy the situation. She raised her hands, wanting nothing more than to stop the tears, "Chat, it was okay, you arrived in time, right? Everything is alri--"

"WHAT IF I HADN'T, LADYBUG."

Ladybug jumped back in surprise. Chat Noir had never, NEVER raised his voice at her. He had posed it as a statement, not a question, and it hung in the air between them. Ladybug felt her body tremble. She wanted to go to him, to tell him it was alright, but she was scared. Not of Chat Noir, well.... Maybe of his feelings. She recalled the night before, how he'd been so emotional, so close to breaking down... It had to be the cat drug. Ladybug was caught between a rock and a hard place. Should she risk it? Comforting Chat Noir was the right thing to do, but... The last thing she wanted was to hurt the boy more. Unless leaving things like they were did just that. She was still staring at him, and it was Chat's turn to avert his eyes, looking guilty and weak. She knew he regretted his tone just by looking at him. His shoulders were shaking, and she could see him trying to hold back his tears, it just... It wasn't working. Ladybug bit her own lip, taking in a deep breath as she steadied herself. She had to go with her gut on this one. She knew what was right and how to fix this. Striding with her head held high, she grabbed the cat boy and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, tucking his head against her shoulder with a polka-dot clad arm and holding him tightly. It didn't take him long to falter, before he was clutching at her desperately, claws digging into her back as his nails scraped her skin. She winced but made no motion to stop the hold she'd began.

"I'm sorry, Chat, I..." she began, choking on her own emotions as Chat Noir wept against her, his whole body wracked with sobs, "It was selfish and stupid of me. I'm sorry...." she held him as he was overcome with his own feelings, biting her lower lip as she stroked his soft hair. They stayed like this for a few moments, and Ladybug closed her eyes as Chat's head rested against her cheekbone. She could stay forever like this, just holding him. It was a ridiculous thought, given the circumstances, but it was an honest thought, and she couldn't help but smile a little.

Unfortunately their moment wasn't to remain, as one of their Miraculouses (she wasn't sure if it was one or the other, or both) gave a beep. Silence, once again, blanketed itself over them. Ladybug struggled to let go of the boy against her, who'd stilled so suddenly it had been unnatural. He pulled away first. The cat looked positively flustered, and she was sure if he hadn't been wearing the mask that his eyes would be red. He sniffed, rubbing at his nose with the back of his hand, "Are... Are you going to be okay?" Ladybug murmured, tentatively resting her hand on his forearm. He gave a tremble, and she gave him a moment to try and contain himself. The second beep resonated through the air.

"I-I-I'm sorry. Um..." he was swallowing, and Ladybug knew what he must have felt. Every time she had cried her mouth always felt cottony and thick; he was getting that right about now, "T-the silvervine... P-Plagg, um... My Kwa-Kwami..." he was struggling to find the words, but Ladybug was patient, "He said it.... Would overload me. Make me.... ehm...." he rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes. Ladybug sympathized with the poor boy.

"Emotional?"

"Y-yea.... Yes."

Ladybug's shoulders slumped with a soft sigh, and she gave him a gentle smile, "Hey, it's okay..." she cooed, channeling her inner Sabine as she gently stroked his forearm, "I don't fully understand how it works, but, um.... I'm sorry." hopefully cat Chat Noir would be gone by the end of the week, and all of this could go back to something semi-normal. No more weird wrist make out sessions, no more crying sessions (this evening, she decided, was far worse than the night before), and no more... Tension. Just her and Chat Noir, superheroes protecting Paris. "If I had known there was going to be an akuma attack, that I was going to see you I wouldn't have used it." he finally cracked a bit of a smile, and Ladybug smiled back. The third beep blinked out, and Ladybug gently removed her hand from his shoulder, "We better go, our transformations are going to wear off." she was turning away from her when he caught her trailing hand in his, and she turned back to him with cautious eyes as he leaned in, and...

...Kissed the corner of her mouth.

Ladybug came to a halt, her mouth silently parting as she looked up at the abashed boy, who had pulled away slowly with a shuddering breath. He wouldn't meet her gaze, "Apology accepted." he managed out, lower lip twisting into a shakey smile. With that, he let go of her hand, and this time it was he who left her standing on the rooftop, staring after him in stunned silence.

 

\---

 

Marinette woke up groggy and cold, not knowing how on earth she'd made it back home. From what she could tell she'd safely crawled into bed, but... She'd left open the window to the balcony and had slept without any blankets on. Sitting up with a sore groan, she rubbed her chilled shoulders and gave a sniffle. Well, at least it would be convincing that she was home sick yesterday. "...Tikki?" she croaked out, reaching up to close the cold away from her bedroom as she peered around for her little red friend. The corner of her pillow wriggled and Tikki's little face came into view, filled with wide eyed concern.

"Marinette! How are you feeling? Are you okay?" her little voice peeped out, moving to gently tap her little red paws against Marinette's face, "You were so quiet on your way home, and when you lost your transformation, you kinda just... Collapsed." Marinette caught the kwami in her hands, giving her forehead a tiny kiss. So that's what had happened.

"Sorry, Tikki. I guess I went onto autopilot." she chuckled out, and Tikki gave her a gentle kiss back, glad to see her chosen was alright. Tikki floated up to rest herself on Marinette's shoulder, and the girl carefully made it down the ladder to her bedroom floor, hissing in pain with each step. Once in her bathroom, she carefully slid off her pyjamas, groaning at the sight before her as Tikki gave a sharp gasp of surprise. People told her she looked good in spots, yes, but this was pushing it. She was covered head to toe in bruises from last night's battle, Tikki's magic having protected her from everything more serious... Except for the pinprick cat scratches from Chat Noir's breakdown. As if her love bitten arms weren't bad enough... These bruises would be even harder to pass off. "Well," she said with a sigh, glancing over at Tikki, "If anyone asks, I guess I can say I fell down my staircase." she gave a little shrug, before carefully crawling into her shower.

The hot water had helped unfreeze her, and the rest of her morning had went relatively normal. Besides the fact that she was moving a little slower, she still managed to do her regular routine and take care of cat Chat Noir, who had been skulking at her all morning from under his favourite place, her desk. Even as she made it down the stairs to the main landing of her home her parents didn't seem to suspect a thing, and she left home with plenty of time to spare to get to school. She was walking in the brisk morning air, heavy scarf wrapped around her head and arm warmers keeping her palms cozy under her jacket, when all too suddenly, and rather late, she was hit with a realisation.

Chat Noir had kissed her last night.

"Wh-I-Oh my god." she blurted out, eyes wide. She'd been so preoccupied trying to Marinette that morning she'd completely forgotten. He'd kissed her. It was a kiss on the corner of her mouth but damn it, it was still a kiss. Her delayed reaction now in effect, she gently touched the corner of her lips where his hot mouth had lingered, and slowly crouched towards the pavement, ignoring her aching body as she tucked her knees against her chest. Marinette couldn't believe how hard her heart was thrumming against her rib cage. Yes, she'd kissed Chat Noir, but 1: she had instigated it, and 2: he'd kinda been possessed, so she didn't count it. It had been a way to save him from akuma taint.....Aaaand yes she had kissed him on the forehead the other night too, but again, she had also done that on her own terms, and it had been a comforting gesture. The kiss last night... Chat Noir had lingered against her mouth and she'd been so shocked she'd frozen up. It was her first kiss if she was going to count out all the technicalities. Marinette's fingers stayed glued to the corner of her mouth as she somehow forced herself to stand, shakey mind reminding her that she still, in fact, had to get to school on time.

 

\---

 

She wasn't sure how she made it there, but she was soon walking through the classroom doors, fingers still touching the corner of her mouth. Someone greeted her; she didn't acknowledge it. As she sat down heavy in her seat in a daze, she slowly became aware that there were eyes on her. Looking up, she found Nino and Alya staring at her, one of them curious and one of them very concerned. She just sat there staring back stupidly.

".....Marinette? Are uh, are you sure you're well enough to be in class today?" Marinette's eyes slowly drifted to meet Alya's, and she blinked a few more times.

"What?" she asked stupidly, and Alya quirked a very concerned brow, while Nino gave a chuckle from one row below.

"Marinette, girl, you haven't even taken your jacket off yet. We've been trying to talk to you for 8 minutes now, and," both of Alya's brows raised questionably, "I'm not gonna lie, you look like a mess." Marinette then took the time to peer down at herself. As far as she was concerned, she looked fine.

"I do?"

Alya and Nino shared a look, now both looking on the concerned side. Marinette was still touching the corner of her mouth, wrapped in enough layers to look almost 3 times her size. Her eyes were dazed and her face pale from the chill that had rested over her overnight. Marinette gave a little sniffle in reply when she could think of nothing to say, and watched her friends exchange yet another look. "Look, Marinette..." Alya began, but paused as there was motion by the door. Marinette's eyes turned to stare at the new presence in the classroom, and her breath caught in her throat. Adrien stood there, looking just as worse for wear as she was. He was wearing the blue scarf Marinette had given him, as well as 3 sweaters and a toque. All around his eyes were puffy and red, and Marinette swallowed loudly. Anyone could tell that the boy had been crying.

"Dude are you okay?!" Nino gasped out, pushing up to stand as Adrien gave him a weak smile.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I... I just had a rough night." Adrien laughed out. He sounded tired. Marinette's eyes remained on him as he took his seat, shrugging off one of his layers. He then turned to look at her, emerald meeting sapphire, "Hey Marinette, are you feeling better today?" Marinette only then realised she was still touching her mouth, and pulled her hand away so quickly that Alya jumped in surprise.

"M-Mood Gornin----Ah, I mean, G-g-good morning Adrien!" she floundered out, flushing profusely. He smiled weakly back at her, and was going to open his mouth to speak when their teacher arrived. With a shrug, he turned back to face forwards, and Marinette felt her heart ache at the loss of his stare.The class quickly tuned in to their lesson, although Alya kept glancing nervously at Marinette and Nino kept leaning into Adrien to whisper things with the boy. Marinette tried her very best to focus on the class, occasionally looking down to see Nino and Adrien conversing quietly with each other. It was hard, but she was managing. She was even getting some notes in, and just as she thought she'd finally be able to settle in and enjoy an almost regular class, she was hit with a thought that literally had her leaping from her seat.

"HE WAS AIMING FOR MY LIPS." she shouted out, everyone around her jumping at the sudden interruption. Nino and Adrien had turned to look at her, both boys so shocked their mouths were hanging open. Alya was giving her the widest eyed stare she could muster.

"...Miss Dupain-Cheng." the teachers voice echoed in the suddenly silent classroom. Marinette blanched, her ears burning a furious red. "If you insist on interrupting my class when you have already missed yesterday's lecture, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Marinette swallowed, "I-I'm sorry I'm--Ah..."

"Ma'am, Marinette was very ill yesterday. She must be feeling unwell still. May I escort her to the nurses office?" Marinette stiffened, turning to look at her rescuer. Adrien had moved to stand as well, still garbed in his outdoor wear, "I'm also a little unwell feeling, so..." the teacher gave the two a look over; Adrien with his honest smile and puffy eyes, Marinette with her pale face and far too many layers for her own good. There was a moment of pondering, before the teacher sighed.

"Very well, Mr. Agreste. You and Miss Dupain-Cheng go and rest in the infirmary." she waved them off with a casual hand, before turning back to the board to continue her lecture. Marinette was frozen in shock still standing at her desk, and then a very warm hand gently tugged on her arm. Her eyes met Adrien's, and she felt numb as she toddled after him out the classroom, staring holes into the back of his head as he made his way down the hall. It was dead quiet, except for the sound of their shoes padding against the linoleum flooring. Adrien knocked on the door to the nurse's office, peering around in the dark room.

"Looks like the nurse is out today, come on." she could only nod numbly. The nurse's office was a small room; it consisted of a few medicine cabinet's, a desk with a computer and a mirror, a worn couch, and a single bed with blue bed sheets. There was no window in this room; the only light came from the semi-transparent window in the door. Marinette stepped in after the blond, who closed the door behind them, locking it. When she looked at him questionably, he shrugged, "Just saving us both from Chloe if she comes storming in here. The teachers all have keys." Marinette opened her mouth to reply, but closed it. He was right. ANYTIME they were together, Chloe tried to throw herself in the midst of it. That girl just HAD to be the center of attention. Adrien took hold of Marinette's wrist, gently leading her to the bed and sitting her down, "You should lay down, you don't look so well." she nodded numbly, shrugging off her coat and scarf. Slipping off her shoes and placing her purse down, she pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, staring at Adrien who'd taken a seat on the couch and was resting his forehead against the palm of his hand.

"I um.....T-thanks...." she managed out lamely, only too aware of the fact that they were in a locked room. Together. In pretty much complete darkness. And she'd just made a fool out of herself in front of the whole class. AND she'd probably have to deal with Alya prying later. He smiled back to her, his eyes looking tired.

"No problems. Just rest Marinette, don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for you." Marinette's hair was pounding furiously in her chest as she nodded in response. Her body was sore and heavy, and now that she was wrapped in the soft cotton of the medical bedding, she felt ridiculously tired. She wanted to stay awake, ask Adrien why he'd been crying, try and comfort the boy, but.... She was horizontal and falling fast. Much faster than she'd hoped, she had drifted off to sleep, her body melting comfortably into the bedding.

 

\---

 

Marinette was unsure of how long she slept. All she knew was that when she began stirring, she was awfully comfortable, and her body felt heavy and warm. She never wanted to open her eyes, never wanted to get out of this comfy bed. Marinette shuffled in the blankets, nuzzling her face further in the pillows and letting out a sleepy sigh. She had just begun dozing once more when she felt a hot breath dance across her face, tickling her nose and her eyelids. Her eyes popped open and she had to hold back a shriek as her heart nearly jumped out her chest.

Lying mere centimeters away from her face, arm draped over her and knees gently pressing against her own, was none other than Adrien Agreste.

At that exact moment, Marinette was pretty sure she'd died in her sleep and gone to heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was super inspired after finishing Chapter 2 and watching Jackady, I can't believe I got this chapter out so fast! It practically wrote itself.
> 
> I hope you all like it!
> 
> Also the name 'Poubellion' is a mixture of poubelle (french for garbage can) and rebellion.
> 
> Gotta love trashy puns :>


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you okay?" Adrien's heart faltered as the midnight haired girl rolled towards him again, arm warmer wrapped forearms resting against the pillow in between them. The blond felt conflict tighten in his chest...She was talking to him, and not stuttering for once, and he definitely didn't want to ruin this moment, but... Could he open up to her? Would she judge him for it?

He had kissed her.

He, Chat Noir, had kissed Ladybug.

Chat Noir's heart was muddled with so many emotions that all he could do was run. It was all he could do to keep himself under ropes while he still had one beep left on his miraculous. Chimneys and rooftops flew by in a watery blur, and Chat's breath was ragged as he beelined back to the Agreste manor. He needed to de-transform, he needed to get a control of these crazy feelings he had. When he landed on the balcony porch to his bedroom with a heavy thud he instantly released his transformation, Plagg tumbling out of his ring with an exasperated yelp. Adrien was desperately trying to wipe tears away as he yanked open the sliding door, tumbling onto the couch with a flump.

"You STUPID boy!" the little cat hissed, but Adrien couldn't hear him. His body was still pulsating with uncontrollable emotions. Fear, anger, panic, hurt, shame... Their conversation was drilling through his head over and over and over...He'd yelled at her, he'd cried on her, he'd made an absolute mess out of himself... And then, bliss. Pure bliss. He'd kissed Ladybug. He'd missed her lips but he had been brave (and stupid) enough to kiss her. She hadn't pulled away (from shock or otherwise, he didn't care at this point). He felt like his heart was soaring...Still, the tears kept coming. Adrien hiccuped through sobs, running his hands over his flushed face. He tried pressing his palms into his eye sockets but the tears kept spilling.

"P-Plagg?! W...Why can't I s-s-stop?" he managed out between tears, rubbing his face against his shirt as he sat up. The little kwami, frustrated once again, floated over to him and smacked him on the head. It did nothing, but it made the kwami feel better.

"I said I could help stop you from going overboard, you cheese head," he hissed out, his little kitty face crinkling up, "I didn't say that you still wouldn't be effected. You're going through after effects right now." Adrien sniffled, his heart in his throat as he wept. The night before he'd given himself time to calm down. Tonight he had ran. He'd given himself no other choice but to do so, though. Either way he probably would have still been a mess. Plagg gave a shrug, before a devious little grin split his mouth, "Think of it this way Adrien..." Adrien glanced over at him with a sniffle, "You're now just like a girl whose PMSing." Adrien's head turned sharply to leer, face instantly hot with rage.

"I AM NOT."

"Oh come come now, Adrien! No need to get so EMOTIONAL about it!" the cat was cackling, enjoying his master's immense emotional discomfort. He too had to deal with that nonsense when he was in the ring; Adrien had to suffer double the amount for making Plagg suffer, it was only fair. The boy howled with rage, trying to catch the floating cat who whizzed just out of his reach. The boys chased each other like cat and mouse (cat and smaller cat, more so) around the room for a good 15 minutes, before Adrien, exhausted from all the crying and lack of sleep and overwhelming emotions, simply gave up and let his legs give out beneath him, dropping onto his bed. He was breathing heavily as he finally felt himself coming down from the residual silvervine high. Damn good for nothing cat drugs... If he could have his way silvervine would be banned from the country. Plagg, content that Adrien was finally mellowing out, fluttered over him with ease, munching a chunk of cheese that he'd stashed away earlier somewhere in the blond's bedroom. Adrien's face was swollen from crying and he felt like something that had just been defrosted and heated up in a microwave (warm but soggy), but he was contemplating things, his head now clearing.

"Plagg..."

"Mmmm... Yes cranky pants?"

"I kissed Ladybug."

"Yes, I was there."

"...Think she's gonna be mad?"

Plagg stopped to feign contemplation, munching on his cheese, "Well, she might be. Your lady is forgiving and kind though; otherwise Tikki wouldn't have bonded with her so well." Tikki must have been Ladybug's kwami, Adrien summed up, " I'm sure that even if she's mad, she'll come around." Adrien glanced up at Plagg, who was still munching, and was going to thank the tiny god for his kind words, but Plagg wasn't done, " You just rest, your ovaries must be KILLING you." ...Only Plagg could take something meant to comfort him and turn it into a jab. Adrien snorted, shooting the little kwami a glare, but did not bother to try and get up. He simply didn't have the energy.

"Yeah, thanks LOADS Plagg."

"You're welcome, Adrien. Now if you wouldn't mind, I need more cheese."

"Well you're gonna have to get it yourself." it was Plagg's turn to look at Adrien, green eyes narrowing, "My ovaries are too sore, remember?" Adrien couldn't help but smirk back as Plagg shot him the dirtiest glare, before tittering off muttering something about 'ungrateful punks'. Adrien couldn't even be bothered to brush his teeth, change out of his street clothes, anything. He had literally done enough moving and feeling for an entire month. He was tired, his eyes blurring shut without any difficulty. 

Sleep hit him harder than it felt like it ever had.

 

\---

 

"I look horrible." Adrien muttered, glaring at his reflection the next morning.

"Well, at least you couldn't look any worse." Plagg sneered in retort.

He was feeling fresh and well rested, having slept like a corpse from the moment he'd shut his eyes until the moment he'd been woken by his alarm. He'd had time to shower and change into some comfy clothing for school, and now he was stuck staring at his reflection, gripping the counter with a frown. Plagg was snickering behind him, and Adrien looked unimpressed over his shoulder through the mirror. He decided to layer up his clothing today, maybe he could feign sickness and no one would be able to tell that he'd been sobbing uncontrollably half the night. Adrien was not afraid to cry, oh no... He did know, however, that he was a teenager, and in a school setting, well.... Teasing wouldn't be far away today, of that he was sure. Adrien tucked Plagg away into one of the many layers of his sweaters and made his way towards breakfast. When he arrived the room was empty, save for a well balanced breakfast at the very very far end of the table. Adrien sighed, but was glad for once that his father wasn't around to question his son's current appearance. The boy began digging into his breakfast when Natalie appeared, carrying a clipboard and not even looking up as he greeted her.

"Adrien, you have a photo shoot at 4 today, so we've had to move your fencing lessons and cancel your chinese language class tonight."

Adrien, face stuffed with eggs, swallowed his food down, wiping some residual food from his chin, "Uh, Natalie? You um.... You sure you want me to go to a photo shoot today? Makeup can only cover up so much."

"Adrien what are you talking about, your father told me it was imperative that you make it to thi---" she'd finally looked up at him, and she seemed frozen on the spot, pen mid-scribble of something on her clipboard. It was the closest Adrien had ever seen her to surprised, "---We will be cancelling your photo shoot and moving it to a more convenient time. I will look to cancelling your other extracurriculars today as well." Adrien flushed a little, looking sheepish up at the heavy lidded woman, who gave him a look of -was that pity?- before turning and leaving him alone once more, calling up whoever she needed to make the necessary arrangements. When she left, Plagg reached out from Adrien's layer and shoved some cheese into his mouth, Adrien groaning.

"I would like to have ONE day where I don't reek of cheese at school, Plagg."

"Well today's not that day there, buddy boy." Plagg mumbled through cheese stuffed bites, shrugging his tiny black shoulders, "'Sides, you should probably get going. Don't want to keep the Gorilla waiting." Adrien turned his head to look up at the time, and let out a small curse. In a very vulgar manner (hey it was fine, no one was watching) Adrien pushed the rest of his food down his throat, yanking his backpack off of the back of his seat and was darting for the door.

 

\---

 

"Look, Marinette..."

Adrien wandered in to class to find his corner buddies both turned to the midnight haired girl, who looked.... Well, she looked as horrible as he did, in all honesty. She was bundled in so many layers and looked even paler and sicker than she had yesterday. The poor thing really ought to take care of herself better... And she probably should have stayed home again, judging from the blurry, unfocused look in her eyes. Nino had turned to look at him first, and he bit the inside of his cheek at the look that spread across his friend's face. He had only just shown up and he was already found out. Great.

"Dude are you okay?!" Nino was on his feet, looking ready to throw his arms around Adrien and hug the life out of him. Adrien gave him a weak smile as he came around the desk.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I... I just had a rough night." Adrien laughed out, dropping into his chair. He'd only just sat down and he was seriously regretting bundling up... It was stiflingly hot in the classroom. He wriggled out of sweater 1/3, dropping it alongside his bag at his heels. Feeling eyes on the back of his head (and not wanting to have Nino pester him), Adrien turned to look in Marinette's direction. The girl looked so far off in her own little world, but focused to return his stare. Every time he saw those eyes up close, his heart seemed to skip a beat. "Hey Marinette," he began, smiling a little at her blank, wide eyed stare, "Are you feeling better today?" She'd been touching the corner of her mouth since he'd shown up, which he didn't mention, but he still lifted his brows in surprise when she yanked her hand away, fumbling out her greeting. At least that was normal. He was going to ask her if she was alright enough to work on their chemistry project later, but was interrupted by their teacher entering the room. Instead he closed his mouth, gave her a small smile, and turned to tune in to class. Or that had been his plan.

"Dude, seriously, you look like a mess. You. Adrien Agreste." Nino had leaned over and was hissing into his ear, and Adrien frowned.

"Come on, man, I'm fine. I already told you I had a rough night." he whispered back, glancing back at the teacher to make sure she didn't notice their muttering. She didn't even turn around.

"I've seen you after a rough night, Adrien. This wasn't just a rough night."

"Nino, it's all good. I was just, uh..." Adrien's tongue faltered, knowing all to well that Nino had noticed his slip up, and was staring at him so intensely he couldn't find it in his heart to lie, "Having some girl problems." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, anyways. Adrien winced at the shocked look on his friend's face. Nino looked like he'd swallowed a bug.

"Duuude!" he whisper-shouted, a grin spreading wide across his face, and Adrien pressed a finger to his own lips, shushing the boy who was getting FAR too excited for his own good. "Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend, man?"

Adrien winced at that word. Girlfriend. "Because I don't have one." he hissed back. He was so so glad Ladybug wasn't there at that precise moment. If she knew she'd been referred to as his, Chat Noir's, girlfriend, she'd probably be pissed. Nino's face faltered, became contemplative, and then enlightened. He gave Adrien a gentle pat on the shoulder, suddenly all too understanding despite not knowing anything. Adrien inwardly rolled his eyes. The sunkissed blond figured Nino was done with his man to man conversation, and went to turn back to actually take some notes. Nino wasn't done.

"Bro, did you get dumped?"

"...We weren't even dating in the first place."

"How could any girl turn you down? It's impossible, bro."

Adrien sighed a heavy sigh, glancing at the teacher again who still hadn't turned around, "She's my friend, okay? Like, a good friend. I think." he whispered back. That word felt weird on his tongue. Ladybug, just a friend? What even were they? Just partners? Companions? What did she really think of him? She'd been so worried for him the night before... More worried than someone would be for someone who was 'just a friend'. He wanted to ask her, he wanted to know what was on her mind. She knew, of course, that he loved her and was completely and utterly devoted to her..... She DID know, right?

"Adrien. Were you..." Adrien winced, knowing all too well where Nino was going with this conversation, "Were you friend-zoned?!" Adrien sputtered, giving Nino a wide-eyed stare. He'd known, but that didn't mean he was ready to hear it.

"I was not!" he whispered back, pouting as Nino tried hard not to snicker outloud.

"You totally were. You were crying because you got friend-zoned." Adrien wanted to deny it, he really did, but he guessed that it worked as a cover story for now. At least Nino wouldn't press any further if this is why he thought Adrien had been such a wreck the night before. He chose to keep quiet, giving the other boy a hard stare as Nino's shoulders shook, hardly containing his laughter.

"Don't worry bro, I won't tell a soul." he managed out, and Adrien did roll his eyes then.

"Please don't. I'm already having enough of a time with this as it is." this statement was, in fact, quite true. Even trying to think about where he and his lady were relationship wise, thinking about the past few nights, it was enough to drain Adrien of what he thought had been enough energy to keep him going through the day. He was stressing about it and it was weighing him down.

"Come on Adrien, you know I always have your back." Nino gave the blond a gentle punch on the shoulder, and Adrien smiled weakly. He was about to return the favour when there was a literal verbal explosion from behind them, the sudden noise leaving his ears buzzing furiously. Adrien turned in his seat to stare wide-eyed and open mouthed at Marinette, who was on her feet, palms slapped down against her desk, looking furious beyond belief. The silence that followed this outburst was almost eerie, and finally a voice cut through that silence. Adrien glanced back at the teacher, who'd finally turned and was giving poor Marinette the hardest stare down he'd ever seen her muster up. Marinette, in turn, looked like she'd swallowed her own tongue, and somehow managed to pale and turn beet red at the exact same time. It was a skill that Marinette seemed to specialize in. Marinette was trying to apologize, and Adrien realised very suddenly that this was an opportunity to get out of this classroom and to rest his stress-fatigued brain.

"Ma'am, Marinette was very ill yesterday. She must be feeling unwell still. May I escort her to the nurses office?" he asked, pushing to stand up at his desk as well. He felt pretty much every eye in the classroom on him then, and he swallowed nervously, "I'm also a little unwell feeling, so..." he rubbed the back of his head shyly, looking up to meet the teacher's sharp gaze. She was contemplating, giving the two teenagers a look over. Adrien hoped his smile conveyed just how tired he was feeling all of a sudden. She finally conceded, and waved the two kids off absentmindedly, before returning to her teaching. Adrien reached down to collect his few things that were seated on the floor next to him, before turning to Marinette. The girl was frozen in place, eyes staring at the back of their professor's head. Adrien carefully reached out to touch her arm, giving it a gentle tug. It was just enough to bring the girl back to reality, and with the help of his grip on her arm she finally began following him out of the classroom.

Adrien beelined down the hall to the nurse's office, knowing Marinette was right on his heels. Reaching the door he paused, giving a short knock. There was no reply. He pushed open the door and was greeted by darkness. "Looks like the nurse is out today," he muttered, quirking his head towards the room as an indication to follow him, "Come on." He was rather glad the nurse wasn't there; less people to worry about seeing his ridiculous puffy face. Marinette followed him in, and he was hit with a sudden thought. Everytime he and Marinette were even within three feet of one another, Chloe would freak out and turn into this weird possessive little beast. She might have been a childhood friend, but it was enough to wear away at Adrien's already frazzled nerves. And now the two were in the infirmary together.... Adrien locked the door quickly behind him. That oughta slow Chloe down if she went on one of her tangents... Then again, she usually avoided him if he wasn't looking like 100% perfect A+ model material. Adrien shrugged to himself.

Better safe than sorry.

Marinette seemed confused, but once he explained himself a look of understanding dawned on her face. Looks like he wasn't the only one that got tired of Chloe's constant Chloe-ness. The poor girl looked rough and still very dazed, so Adrien's hand once again found her wrist, leading her towards the single bed in the dark room. When she didn't catch on right away (poor thing really should have stayed home), he cleared his throat. "You should lay down, you don't look so well." he suggested, gesturing to the bed as he let go of her wrist. As she shed some of her layers and managed her way under the blankets, Adrien dropped himself and his stuff onto the couch, leaning forwards to rub his temples. He was glad it was so dark in here; it helped him relax. The room was quiet for a short while, before Marinette cleared her throat.

"I, um.....T-thanks...."

Adrien looked up from where he sat to stare at the girl. She looked so much like a small child, cocooned in the blue blankets with nothing but her head peering out at him. He couldn't help the soft smile that spread across his face. Marinette was really lucky that she was so cute, even when she looked like she may or may not have been dying. "No problems." anything for a friend, right? "Just rest Marinette, don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for you." Marinette simply nodded. He could tell just by looking at her that she was literally moments from passing out on him; that was fine. He wouldn't mind a little alone time now, anyways. It had only taken a few more minutes, and as Adrien had predicted Marinette was out like a light. Adrien did his best to get comfortable on the old couch (it was stupidly uncomfortable, as his luck would have it), and focused in on the ceiling in an attempt to de-stress.

 

\---

 

Adrien had remained on the couch as the bell rang, signifying that the first class had ended. At some point during the last... What, hour? He'd shed his remaining sweaters, now sitting in only his regular shirt. He only got up when he'd heard the sound of keys clicking the lock free. The nurse had finally shown up, nearly turning on the lights before spotting Adrien, who indicated to the sleeping Marinette and pressed a finger to his lips. The nurse took in the appearance of the two (people seemed to be doing that a lot today) before smiling, pressing a finger to her own lips, and then quietly closing the door. Adrien heard the lock click shut again, and knowing he was temporarily safe once more from Chloe's wrath (should she appear), relaxed back into the couch. Except he couldn't. He had a crick in his neck, a sore back, and his bottom felt numb from sitting on the old sofa. Adrien sighed, knowing he couldn't full well just sit on an achey butt all day, and decided to move across the room to the nurse's chair. Marinette was out cold, but he was careful not to make a noise when he took up his new seat, just in case.

Adrien sat in that chair for about 5 whole minutes, before he figured that this seat wasn't much of an upgrade.

It took him another 5 minutes of bickering with himself before he carefully made his way to the bed, standing next to it and looking down at the sleeping figure that lay there. She was breathing deeply, and from any indication of her eyelids twitching, she was in a very, very deep sleep. He knew he shouldn't, not wanting to disrupt the girl's rest, but he also didn't want to have sit on that damned couch for another 5 or so hours. He didn't want to call the Gorilla to pick him up early, because he would be chastised by his father. He didn't want to return to class because his face was still a mess and he wouldn't have been able to concentrate even if he wanted to. And so he stood, biting his bottom lip. He was just... Going to sit on the bed. For a little bit. Yeah. Adrien was careful as he brought his weight down, wincing at the way the bed creaked under his weight. Even with the bed shifting beneath her, Marinette didn't stir. The boy breathed a sigh he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Good, good.... Now what?

Adrien sat on the bed in complete silence, not sure where to turn his attention, and finally decided that it would only be about 60% creepy and awkward if he just watched Marinette. He HAD said he'd keep an eye out for her. The girl was sleeping so peacefully, every once in a while shifting a little, or making a small noise in the back of her throat. Adrien frowned as he noted how flushed her cheeks looked, and carefully placed one cool hand against her forehead. She was hot, probably a little too warm to be normal temperature. He bit the inside of his cheek; running a fever was definitely no good. When he tried to take his hand away, the girl's brow furrowed together, and she whimpered in her sleep. Adrien wasn't sure why, but his heart skipped a beat. She was growing restless, and Adrien flustered, his heart pounding hard in his chest. She needed to rest, he shouldn't have interrupted her sleep, she was probably going to freak out if she found out he'd touched her without permission while she was defenceless like this... In a last minute attempt to remedy the situation, he recalled what his own mother used to do for him when he was sick, and swallowed the lump in his throat. Well, he had nothing to lose, really.

Adrien carefully placed himself so he was lying down as far away from Marinette as possible (there was about a foot between their faces), and gently reached out to stroke her hair. She was still whining in her sleep, but as he continued to pet her head, she eventually quieted down, once again becoming very still. It took a little while, but eventually her breathing once again became slow, and Adrien was positive she was completely out once more. He breathed a sigh of relief, and just continued petting her, carefully, gently. And then he stopped, and found himself simply staring at her face once more. Adrien couldn't help but memorize the curves of her cheeks, her light, spattered freckles that danced along the bridge of her nose, her thick black lashes, how pink her lips were, and how they parted into a small 'o' as she slept. He swallowed. He was always so caught up in her eyes... Why was it that even with her eyes closed, he couldn't help but find her breathtaking? He barely spent time with the girl apart from the classes they shared, and even then, things were awkward.

Yet... Her face relaxed him. It felt so familiar and, for whatever reason, it warmed his heart. 

The cursed bed, just as it had lulled Marinette, was beginning to ween it's evil ways into Adrien's slowly fading consciousness. He knew that if he slept now he'd probably be in trouble by someone, be it the nurse, the principal, his father, or Marinette. He couldn't help it though; the bed's pull to sleep was stronger than any other force he'd fought as Chat Noir by a long shot. He was just... Just going to rest his eyes for like, five minutes. And then he would get up, get off the bed, and find another place to be. Just five minutes...

 

\---

 

He felt Marinette's body stiffen under his arm, and that's what roused the boy from his '5 minute' rest. His eyes lulled open, and for a moment he felt drowsy and slow.... but then he noted how close her face was, and his eyes fluttered wide. There they were; Marinette frozen in stunned silence, caught under the blankets tucked so tightly around her and the weight of Adrien's arm, and Adrien caught rigid by those brilliant blue eyes that refused to leave his. He'd been so, so stupid. Curse this ridiculously comfy bed. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity; Adrien not wanting to look away from Marinette's sapphire orbs, and Marinette under the impression that she was still dreaming. Or dead. Or both. Adrien cleared his throat, and Marinette flinched visibly.

"Marinette, I'm so sorry." Adrien babbled out, finally breaking the silence as he yanked his arm off of her, inching back on the bed so she had some space. She blinked once, twice, "I, um... I can explain! I swear! You were... There was a fever... On your forehead. Your fever. Uh, and... I swear, I was just trying to make you feel better! But then I was lying down, and..." he had no idea what he was saying, he was just throwing out words in a sad attempt to not make her angry at him, "I-it was an accident."

Silence.

Then a bubble of sound.

The sound filled the space between them, something Adrien hadn't been expecting. Marinette was laughing. It had started out as a quiet giggle, and had slowly gotten louder and louder, until she was covering her face in her hands, howling with laughter. Adrien's tongue felt numb in his mouth, and his face burned hot. "Adrien, what?" she managed out between fits, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Adrien was absolutely dumbfounded. If he hadn't thought she'd looked like Ladybug yesterday, then he would DEFINITELY think she looked like her today. She was still killing herself with laughter, wriggling free of the blankets to roll away from him, covering her eyes with her hands, "You, what the heck! That excuse!" she squealed out, kicking at the bed frame in her fit, "You're RIDICULOUS!" Adrien finally found his voice, and for some reason, he couldn't stop himself from laughing as well. And then they were just two idiots, lying on a cramped single bed and peeing themselves from laughing so hard. Adrien couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much- all he knew was it had been a terribly long time.

Eventually the laughter died out, and he and Marinette just lay on the bed, both of them panting and flushed. Adrien snuck a glance over at Marinette, who had a grin spread across her rosey cheeks. She looked so much better, he was glad. "Hey..." she managed out breathlessly, her entrancing eyes turning to capture him once more, "Are you okay?" Adrien's heart faltered as the midnight haired girl rolled towards him again, arm warmer wrapped forearms resting against the pillow in between them. The blond felt conflict tighten in his chest...She was talking to him, and not stuttering for once, and he definitely didn't want to ruin this moment, but... Could he open up to her? Would she judge him for it? Adrien had been quiet too long, and Marinette suddenly looked unsure, biting her bottom lip, "I-I mean, if you don't want to talk about it..."

"No!" he gasped out, catching her attention once more, "No, I do. I do want to talk about it." he swallowed as her eyes warmed again, "It's just... Hard." Marinette was watching him, and he suddenly felt delicate. Like being under the effects of the silvervine, but... Less so. He didn't open up to people, not like this anyways. He was Adrien Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste. He was always supposed to be perfect; his mask couldn't falter. The only time it could, well.... He was always wearing another mask, wasn't he? Marinette was looking at him though, right into his heart with her eyes that were so much like Ladybug's they stung. She always could see through him too. Maybe it was because of those eyes that were so much like Ladybug's, or maybe because Adrien needed to open up to someone he could be honest with without fearing judgment, he didn't know, but he slowly exhaled, feeling his walls coming down.

"I'm in love with someone." he breathed out, not missing the way the girl in front of him trembled, "I've been in love with her since the moment I laid eyes on her. She's strong, Marinette. Strong and courageous and brilliant and witty and," he sighed out, "She's perfect. I would do anything to make her happy." Marinette simply nodded, mouth pursing delicately. Adrien pushed on, not wanting to chicken out, "But I hurt her, Marinette. She's my sun, my moon, and I went and hurt her." something in her eye changed then, he wasn't sure what it was but he froze up. The room seemed ungodly quiet, and Adrien felt an icy heat burning in the pit of his stomach, crawling up his chest and burning his ears.

"...It's okay. Please, Adrien." she murmured out, blue eyes studying him.

Adrien swallowed, his mouth suddenly very dry, "I just... I don't know what to do to fix these mistakes of mine, I don't know how to convey to her how I feel. She..." his voice cracked, and Adrien felt so vulnerable, "She's the only one who knows me, she's the only one who sees me as more than just what I appear to be on magazines." Adrien had to avert his gaze from Marinette's face. Her eyes were just too blue. "Everyone looks at me and they see the Agreste family name. They see a model student, a junior fencing champion, everything that my father expects me to be. They don't see past that Marinette. No one but her." his hands were trembling, and he fiddled with his ring anxiously, "She's the only one. And now I'm too scared to even look her in the eye." he couldn't look Marinette in the eye, either. "I'm...." his voice wavered, "I'm not okay. I'm not." it felt weird, having the truth echo around the otherwise quiet room.

"Adrien, you..." it was Marinette's turn to swallow, and the blond's eyes carefully turned up to hers. His heart froze. There were tears in her eyes. "You're only human, Adrien." she finally finished, and Adrien had to bite his lower lip, "No one should expect you to be perfect, not in that way... Just like this...." she reached out to gently touch his face, Adrien seizing up against her finger tips, "Just being you, and not who they expect you to be, you're perfect." her sad smile was heartbreaking. Adrien had to bite his lip to stop the heat that surged up his cheeks, threatening to make him cry even more. Instead he reached up, gently holding her hand against his face, squeezing his eyes tight. The yarn against her palms itched his face, but he didn't care. He didn't want to care.

"You should tell her again, how you feel." he could hear the tears in her voice, his heart was faltering, "Anyone you praise like that is bound to love you back twice as much. You'd be surprised." she was pulling away from him then, and Adrien felt the bed shift under them. As he lost her hand he opened his eyes. She had her back turned to him, and she was trembling. He sat up as well, and gently placed his hand against her back, feeling her flinch from the contact.

"I'm sorry. Thank you." he murmured, leaning forwards to press his head against her shoulder blade. She shuddered again, before turning to look at him with a soft, sad smile.

"Isn't that what friends are for?" she murmured, a weak chuckle escaping her lips.

Adrien never thought that anyone besides Ladybug could break his heart like that. He was wrong.

 

\---

 

Chat Noir stood in his bedroom, quietly fiddling with his ring. It hadn't been too long after he'd opened up to Marinette that they'd parted ways; she was still sick and needed to go home. He'd offered to have his driver take her, but she said she prefered walking. He couldn't get her face from her mind. It had torn something in him, something he didn't know was there. Was she going to be okay? Maybe he should have been the one asking if she was alright, and not the other way around. He thought they'd finally come to something mutual between them... Maybe he was wrong.

Plagg had, of course, chastised him the minute he came home for making a young lady cry. Despite the fact that he was a smelly, rude, cheese eating asshat, he had a soft spot for pretty girls. Adrien had just explained that she'd been emotional FOR him, not because of him. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. He didn't think he could take it if he knew he'd somehow hurt her with his words. She had confirmed that they were friends, after all, something he'd always wanted to hear from the dark haired girl's mouth. And they'd been able to talk for once.

Chat Noir had exited the Agreste manor, and was leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He was anxious; it was patrol night, and he didn't know what he was going to say to his lady. Should he do what Marinette said, tell her how he felt? He didn't want it to sound meaningless, and his heart clenched as he realised how often he tried to give Ladybug his affections. If he was going to do this, he couldn't screw up. He had to make sure she knew; there couldn't be any miscommunication. The cat boy had perched himself up on a chimney pipe, squinting towards their usual meeting place. Usually he liked to sneak up and surprise her; he didn't want to do that today, it would ruin the mood. To his surprise, the ever-on-time Ladybug was nowhere in sight. His heart twinged anxiously, and he jumped skipped and hopped his way over, landing carefully next to the chimney he'd been with her last. The chilled parisian air was quiet, and after waiting a few minutes he had to reach up and rub his arms, the cold biting at his skin. Chat dropped to sit on the edge of the rooftop, curling into himself.

He waited.

When she finally arrived he was standing, eagerly awaiting while wringing his clawed hands. She looked rough; he supposed she was hurting from yesterday's akuma fight. "Ladybug," he breathed, and she turned her eyes up at him. Whatever words he had intended to say after instantly died on his tongue. While the mask hid some of their faces, there was no denying that Ladybug had been crying. Her eyes always gave away everything she was feeling. Chat Noir went to reach to her, but paused. Silvervine. Was she wearing it? The last thing he wanted was to become a sobbing mess again. She seemed to notice this too.

"Sorry I took so long, Chat. I was in the shower." she shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. She didn't. Chat Noir felt relief wash through him; tonight would be a silvervineless night. Thank goodness... With that new knowledge under his belt Chat Noir wasted no time to cross the gap between them, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. She faltered, but squeezed him back gently. His words could wait. Nothing came before comforting his lady.

"Might I ask why my lady was crying?" he murmured into her hair, breathing in her sweet scent. Not the scent of the devil plant; just Ladybug. It still made his head spin.

"Because I'm a girl and even girl's cry sometimes, just like silly cats." she responded stubbornly, but didn't move her face from his shoulder. He chuckled.

"I didn't know ladybugs had tear ducts."

"Well this one does."

"I guess you don't want to talk about it then?" she trembled in his arms, and he frowned into her hair.

"...I'm not ready to talk about it." Chat swallowed at the break in her voice, and just squeezed her tighter. He wouldn't push her anywhere that she was uncomfortable. Truth be told he would probably hold her forever like this if given the opportunity. Ladybug decided to switch topics, "You kissed me yesterday." her breath puffed against his human ear, and he gave a shudder.

"Are you mad?" he asked nervously, peering down into her midnight locks. He wanted to look at her face, but at the same time he was scared by what he'd find there.

"A little. You got me in trouble in class earlier, you know." his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face.

"You were thinking about me in class? I'm flattered, my lady." he breathed out, and he just knew she was rolling her eyes. He realised that now was the chance to talk to her about his feelings; tell her how much she meant to him. His nervous trembling caught the attention of the girl in his arms, and she peered up at him through dark bangs.

"...Is there something you wanted to talk about, Chat?" she asked, and he froze up. Curse those nerves of his.

"I, uh....What?" shoot. Of course now was the time his brain decided to crap out on him. She giggled then and pulled away; her arms were still wrapped around him; his around her. There were mere inches in between them, their bodies still gently pressed together. Chat Noir couldn't help but stare at her lips. They were so soft to look at, so pink and small. If he leaned down he could brush his own lips against hers. He wanted to so badly, but the blue in his peripheral was demanding his attention. He swallowed nervously as his eyes trailed up to her own. She was giving him an expectant, almost chastising stare.

"...You're thinking about kissing me again, aren't you."

An indignant squeak made it's way out of his throat, "What me? Pfft... Psshht." he knew she knew the answer, and she gave him a frown. He couldn't lie to Ladybug. He smiled back sheepishly, "Maybe?" he managed out, and he felt himself ease as she snorted back at him.

"What's stopping you, then?"

.......

...Wait.

What?

Chat Noir's eyes widened comically, and suddenly he was without words again. Had she? Did she just? He must have heard wrong, must have been dreaming. He kept opening and shutting his mouth like a fish. Ladybug kept staring at him. After a few minutes of Chat Noir literally not being able to do, he finally found his words, "D-do you.... Want me to kiss you?" he managed out, heart suddenly in his throat. Was that too forward? Was she just teasing him? He didn't know what to think, this was just so.... Not Ladybug. Yet it was all her. The girl before him said nothing, but let go of him. He faltered, hands also pulling away from her to flail in front of him in a panic, "W-wait I'm sorry, I..."

Her hands found their way to his face instead, and she carefully pulled him down to press her lips against his own. 

Time stopped.

Her lips were just as soft as he dreamed they would be. His hands had at some point moved to gently caress her silky hair, cradling her face gently against his own. They parted for a moment after that, and both of them were a little red in the face. "I..." Chat Noir started, but Ladybug stopped him with another kiss. Their lips were fluttering against one another, and Chat Noir's heart was threatening to flutter right out of his chest. She wanted this, wanted to kiss him just as much as he did. Their kisses were shy (a little more desperate from Chat's side) but they were sweet and wonderful. Chat wanted to go further, deeper, but....

Screaming in the background indicated that Paris had other plans that night.

The two pulled away from eachother so suddenly that they were both in temporary shock. Panting, Chat Noir paused to listen. He could hear more screams now, crashes, panic. The boy scrunched up his face. Of course this would happen when he finally got to kiss Ladybug. He still needed to tell her how he felt and everything! It was just his luck. She was slipping out of his grasp then, moving in a red blur towards the sounds of fear in the air.

"That's our cue." she stated, and just like that she was gone.

Chat Noir could only curse over his rotten luck and chase after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cursed bed strikes again!
> 
> Thanks everyone for all the super sweet comments and all of the kudos <3 <3 <3 I'm doing my very very best to get out a chapter as often as possible for you guys! You don't even know how much it means to me to know you're all enjoying my little story :') I hope you guys enjoy this chapter-- it kicked my ass! Thanks to kali_asleep for helping me push through the middle section when I was at a complete loss of words.
> 
> Also if you kids have a tumblr I'd love to make some more friends! sockdilemma is my username over there, feel free to hit me up! As long as you're not a porno blog I pretty much always follow back :>
> 
> Enjoy <3 <3 <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nathalie?!" Chat Noir's voice broke out from across the street as he crawled out of the storefront window, shaking glass shards out of his hair. The spider woman glanced over at him, cold stare unchanging as she blinked at the blond haired youth. Ladybug took this opportunity to dart out of sight.

Adrien Agreste was in love with someone.

 

Truth be told, Marinette wasn't particularly surprised with this tidbit of information. He was, after all, pretty famous in the modelling industry. He had connections and ties with hundreds of people, people she couldn't even imagine being in the same room with. And yes, she was hurt by this, devastated even, but that wasn't why she cried. She cried for this boy, this sweet blond boy who wanted nothing more in this world than to be seen as a person, not just as another piece of the Agreste brand line. She cried because he was so desperately in love with someone and feared hurting her so badly that his voice broke and his confidence splintered away into nothing before her very eyes. She cried because deep down inside, she knew she'd also been one of those people who had only seen his falsified personality, and somewhere along the lines she felt that she'd betrayed him because of it.

 

She cried because when he opened up to her like that, she didn't feel like she was lying next to Adrien Agreste. She felt like she was lying next to Chat Noir.

 

Chat Noir, the boy who'd throw himself in harm’s way to keep her safe. Chat Noir, the boastful boy with the incredibly sensitive ego. Chat Noir, who only a few days before had referred to HER as his sun, his moon. Chat Noir, who at every given chance told her he loved her in one way or another. Their words, their feelings... They were overlapping one another. Two very different boys, but with very very similar hearts. And she knew, just as she and Tikki had talked about that first fateful night Chat Noir had lost himself to the 'drugs' that she'd sprayed across her wrists, that she loved them both.

 

She loved them both so much that it hurt.

 

She wasn't sure how she got home. All she knew was that the minute she slipped through the door to her bedroom all she could do was lie her sore body down on the floor, staring up at her ceiling with tears in her eyes. Her parents tried to talk to her about it, but neither one of them could get a proper sentence out of the girl. She needed to cry. She needed to cry it all out and everything would be okay. She needed to talk to someone, not her parents, who could help her out with this, help her sort out her thoughts.

 

That person was Alya.

 

"Marinette girl!" the redhead practically exploded into her bedroom a mere 6 minutes after Marinette had texted her, and Marinette sat up groggily from her spot on the floor. Alya was there, dropping to her knees and wrapping her friend in a tight embrace. It hurt, her body was aching, but Marinette hugged her back, sobbing against Alya's shoulder. The redhead pulled away from her, soothing her by gently stroking her hair, "Don't worry Mari, I broke out all the goods." she cooed, smiling down at her weepy eyed friend. Alya conjured up a bag then, dumping its contents out on the floor. Twelve assorted chocolate bars, a mixed CD labelled 'In case of heartbreak', several travel packets of tissues, a super soft fleecy blanket, and a hairbrush. Marinette snuffled up at her friend.

 

"Thanks Alya. I'm sorry you had to rush out here just for me."

 

"Girl _don’t_ even get me started!" Alya's finger was in her face then, and Marinette flinched away, "I am your _friend_ . You are a wreck. I am here for _you_." and then she was hugging her again, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle despite all the pain. "Now, you need to tell me what's going on. Tell me everything; don't skimp out on the details." Marinette nodded obediently, and as she began her story of what had happened earlier in the day, Alya took up the space behind her to gently brush her hair. It was soothing, and it helped Marinette focus without breaking down. Alya always knew what to do when she was in need.  


\---

 

"--And then I said 'isn't that's what friends are for'." Marinette finally finished. During the forty something minutes the girl had been talking, Alya had wrapped her in a blanket, fed her three of the twelve chocolate bars, and finished brushing her hair atleast five times. Alya was sitting across from her now, munching on HER third chocolate bar with a sympathetic look on her face. Marinette let out a shuddering sigh, "I'm... I'm not even upset about him loving someone else. I knew I didn't have a chance with him, Alya. I'm happy that he feels so deeply for someone." she chuckled out sadly, "It was more like a fairytale that I knew was never going to happen, but..." Alya quirked a gentle brow, placing her hand on the other girl's knee, "I feel like I wasted so much time pining after him, when someone else was there for me all along."

 

There was a long pause.

 

"What?" Alya breathed, eyes widening behind her glasses, "You... Someone else?" Marinette nodded, and a look of understanding dawned on the red head's face, " "He was aiming for my lips." " Alya quoted from Marinette's earlier outburst, and the midnight haired girl flushed deeply, tucking her face away in embarrassment, "You have a boy that loves you, Marinette? Why didn't you tell me?" Marinette chewed at her lower lip, not sure what to say. Alya was very patient with her as she carefully chose her words.

 

"I, well.... It's complicated, Alya. I should have told you, I just.... It was hard to bring up." how could she tell her best friend that Chat Noir was head over heels in love with her super alter-ego? That would go over well for sure. "He's a very important friend of mine, Alya. He..." Marinette swallowed, tucking some hairs that fell into her eyes behind her ear, "He would do anything for me. But I was so preoccupied by Adrien that I neglected his feelings." her fingers were trembling as she gripped on the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, "I was scared to go past 'friends', I.... I didn't want to hurt him, so I played ignorant, pushed him away. Brushed off his affections like they were nothing." The tears were starting up again, and a hiccup choked up and out of her throat, "He doesn't deserve the kind of person I am, Alya. He deserves so much better." Marinette was expecting something along the lines of some comforting words from Alya.

 

She didn't expect the slap that drew a yelp of surprise from her lips.

 

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Alya's tone was that of a chastising mother, and Marinette flinched away, cupping her cheek nervously, "Don't you _dare_ talk about yourself like that!" the redhead had jumped to her feet and was pointing at the girl accusingly, "You are the most caring, sweetest, best person I've _ever_ gotten to meet in my whole life!" Marinette felt a knot in her stomach, but she remained quiet. Alya was on a roll, "You say you pushed him away? Feh! From what I heard, you were trying to _protect_ him from getting hurt! Because that's what you do, Marinette! You always put other people first, you never stop to worry about yourself! I bet this boy still loves you, doesn't he? The only one you're hurting is _yourself_ by always trying to be so god damn considerate all the time!" Marinette looked up at her friend in shock then, mouth falling open, "If you were really _that_ bad then wouldn't he have given up on you?! Would he still have tried to kiss you?! No! He would have given up, but he hasn't! Now apologize _right_ this second for thinking so poorly of yourself!"

 

"...I'm sorry Alya."

 

"Now apologize for not telling me you had a boy that liked you!"

 

"Sorry, Alya."

 

"Now get up here and hug me so I can apologize to YOU for that slap right now!" Marinette, despite just having been slapped, couldn't help but giggle as she got to her feet, wrapping her friend in a tight embrace, "Sorry for hitting you like that, girl. I just got too riled up." Alya breathed into her ear.  

 

Marinette let out another giggle, "I probably needed it. Thanks for slapping me, Alya."

 

"...Not gonna lie, that's the first time someone has thanked me fo slapping them. You're one odd duck, Marinette. That's why I picked you, though!" The two girls stood squeezing each other, giggling at how ridiculous each of them were and bickering which one was the weirder. They came to the conclusion it was most definitely Marinette. Eventually they sat back down to munch the remaining chocolate bars. "So.... When do you see this friend of yours next?"

 

"Tonight." Marinette sighed, and Alya choked on her chocolate bar, "I don't know what to do. I don't want to use him Alya. I don't want to just take advantage of his feelings towards me." Marinette shied away from her friend's scrutinizing gaze, "I like him, I do. I didn't want to admit it, but I do. I've probably liked him for a long while." Marinette heaved a sigh, pushing her bangs up off her face, "He shouldn't be treated like a rebound-boy, just because my heart's hurting over Adrien."

 

"Dude, if you already liked him that doesn't make him a rebound boy, heartbreak or not." Alya pointed out, and Marinette looked up, confused, "The conflict was already there. You're not betraying his love, you're not using him. You're just giving yourself the opportunity to finally let this boy into your heart, because it's no longer clouded over with confusion. Besides, if you don't want to take advantage of him, you won't." Marinette looked down, pondering to herself. She knew that Chat Noir would love her regardless of what she did... Well, he would love Ladybug regardless.

 

"So I should give it a go? Tonight, you mean?" she asked outloud, unwrapping a chocolate bar to stuff it in her face.

 

"I'm saying you should just go with the flow. Don't be scared by his love. Let him love you." Alya nodded to herself, and Marinette smiled, "Just...Look Marinette, if you're going to get a little kinky out there, _please_ use protection!" it was Marinette's turn to choke on her chocolate bar.

 

"ALYA!"

 

"I'm just saying! We're at a very confusing age! Things could get messy!"

 

"Alya I don't want to hear this from you PLEASE."

 

"Just know Marinette that there are plenty of contraceptives out there!"

 

"ALYA NO."

 

The redhead was peeing herself laughing as Marinette, now looking very much like a tomato, threw everything within grabbing distance at the other girl. When Marinette had finally calmed down (she'd felt bad the minute she'd stopped throwing things, and had cried again; Alya had cuddled her until she stopped), Alya took it as her cue to get heading. "You should get ready for your hot date tonight, girl. Remember: don't be scared of letting him in. He likes you, and you deserve this. Also don't think you're not still in trouble for not telling me about him, young lady. I WILL meet this boy whether you want me to or not." Marinette was still pouting, but wandered after her friend as she began collecting up her things that had been scattered across Marinette's bedroom floor. Alya reached down to pick up the CD, handing it to Marinette with a shrug, "You can keep this if you feel like it." Marinette blinked.

 

"What's on this, anyways?"

 

Alya grinned as she lifted up Marinette's trap door, "It's the song 'All Men are Pigs' by Studio Killers, repeated 18 times." and with that she was gone, Marinette groaning in frustration after her.

  


\---

  


Marinette had gone with the flow.

 

She had kissed Chat Noir.

 

She had kissed him several times.

 

It had felt so, so right.

  


\---

  


Now they were charging across rooftops, heading towards the screaming in the distance. With Chat Noir on her heels, she leapt from the rooftops and down into a dark streetway. The screaming was all around them, but it wasn't from ground level. As Chat Noir gracefully landed next to her, he squinted up into the dark. "See anything?" Ladybug asked, pulling her yo-yo from her side.

 

"Yeah, I see webs." Chat Noir responded, and Ladybug felt herself pale, "Lots of them." lo and behold as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, dozens of massive webs came into view. And they were wriggling. Squinting in the dark, Ladybug couldn't help but gasp as she realised that the wriggling lumps strung up in the webs were, in fact, people. Of course they were fighting a spider akuma. Of course she _hated_ spiders. She felt a tremble crawl all the way up her spine, and Chat Noir gave her a look, "My lady? Don't tell me... Are you...?" a blur of movement caught Ladybug's eye, and she was on the move.

 

"CHAT MOVE!" Ladybug shouted out, jumping at the boy to knock him out of the way as a web struck where he'd been standing. The two tumbled to the ground, Chat Noir pinned under Ladybug's chest. She gave a wince but sat up, ignoring the blush on her kitty's face, "We can't get distracted, Chat. That thing is somewhere above us." It was Chat's turn to react, and he grabbed Ladybug back down and rolled her body over as another web struck ground next to them. The cat boy held a clawed finger to his lips, and Ladybug zipped her mouth shut. They sat frozen for a few moments, Chat Noir straddling Ladybug's hips as they listened. Besides the screams of the civilians still hanging in the air, there was nothing.

 

Ladybug finally took in their positions, and blushing fervently, pushed herself out from in between Chat's thighs. When he stood to join her she placed a finger to her lips, mimicking his earlier movements. It didn't take long for Ladybug to clue in that this akuma was listening for them. Ladybug grabbed Chat's wrist and yanked him under the cover of a nearby store front, pressing herself against the glass, "It can't find us if we're quiet." she whispered, and he nodded, peering up into the darkness. She wished it wasn't so dark on this street; the akuma must have webbed out the lights, "Think you can catch its attention and get it out into the open?" she murmured, peering over at the leather clad boy beside her.

 

"My lady, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's being the center of attention." the cat beamed, and with an oh so Chat Noir brow wriggle (Ladybug rolled her eyes), he darted out into the street once more. Ladybug began swinging her yo-yo as her cat began singing -oh god was he really singing that?- the 1960's Spiderman theme. It didn't take long for the webs to start flying; Ladybug was awfully glad that Chat Noir had dark vision, as he was dodging them with an ease that only he could manage while wearing body tight leather. Eventually a hiss of anger from above erupted through the air, and a heaping form crashed down to the ground. Ladybug took this as her opportunity to strike and darted out of her hiding place, throwing her yo-yo to catch two long, deadly spider legs in an attempt to trip the beast before her.

 

It didn't work.

 

The yo-yo was caught in a black gloved hand, and Ladybug was yanked off her feet, throwing the girl to the pavement with a grunt. "Ladybug!" Chat Noir gasped out, and as he was distracted was shot by a web right through the building behind them, shattering the storefront glass. Ladybug sat up with a groan, finally taking in the appearance of the beast before her. From the waist up she was all woman, quite beautiful with heavy lidded eyes and dark, long hair, streaked with red on one side. Everything below that though was grotesquely arachnid, hairy and glossy and just... Ugh. Horrible. Thick black spider legs clicked against the pavement like sharp heels as the spider woman turned to Ladybug, who was already getting to her feet. Ladybug knew this woman... But...From where....?

 

"Nathalie?!" Chat Noir's voice broke out from across the street as he crawled out of the storefront window, shaking glass shards out of his hair. The spider woman glanced over at him, cold stare unchanging as she blinked at the blond haired youth. Ladybug took this opportunity to dart out of sight. Chat Noir seemed to have the spider's full attention; this was the perfect opportunity to look for the tainted item on the woman.

 

"It's not Nathalie, young man. It's Arachnaphobie." Spider-Nathalie responded, before raising her steady right hand and shooting a web in Chat Noir's direction. The boy seemed off his game today, because he got caught in those webs and tumbled back into the store. Ladybug winced as she heard Chat Noir knock something down from inside. Arachnaphobie began clicking her way over towards the boy; Ladybug didn't hesitate to string her yo-yo around the spider woman's upper torso and give a yank. The spider woman turned to shoot her a death glare, opening her mouth to reveal long, saliva coated chelicera. Ladybug, in turn, couldn't help but give a disgusted shudder.

 

"That is.... That is just too gross..." she grimaced. Arachnaphobie was charging her then, shooting webs at the spotted girl. Ladybug yanked back her yo-yo and hit the ground in a tuck roll. Where was the akuma hiding? How was she going to bring down this enemy? Where was Chat Noir? From behind Nathalie Ladybug was able to once again throw her yo-yo in another attempt to trip the long black spider legs; she succeeded this time. Arachnaphobie fell with a heavy thud as all 8 of her legs were yanked out from under her. While she was down, Ladybug darted across the road into the store Chat Noir had fallen into twice.

 

"Chat?" she breathed as she stepped in. The emergency light in the back of the store had flickered on, but there were other lights on as well. The soft glow of dozens of fishtanks, blacklights over small reptiles and other creepy crawlies...Ladybug gave a groan as she found Chat Noir, smiling dreamily away while nestled in nasty spider webs. Of course he'd crashed through a pet shop door. Of COURSE the thing he'd knocked over was the cat toy display. The boy lay there, stupid blond head rubbing against a pile of little fabric pouches that had tumbled out of the display and all around his face. "Catnip, really Chat? First silvervine, now catnip?" this boy was going to be the end of her. He simply smiled back in his drunken stupor, giving a little giggle. "Chat, come on, get a hold of yourself." she snapped, yanking at the spider webs as she began to tear through them.

 

"I am holding myself." he smiled back, and Ladybug groaned again as she pulled away the remaining webs, revealing that his arms had been caught wrapped around his shoulders.

 

"Well atleast you still have your dumb sense of humour." she muttered under her breath, helping the boy to his feet. He leaned heavily against her, rubbing his face against her collarbone with a dopey smile on his lips. She rolled her eyes; at least he was semi-conscious. Looks like silvervine was the stronger of the two cat drugs, after all. "Chat, you know this woman?" she asked, pulling the boy back from her collarbone by the shoulders. Arachnaphobie had gone missing from the street; Ladybug cursed under her breath.

 

"Yesh..." Chat Noir slurred out, leaning his neck to the side so his face trapped Ladybug's hand on his shoulder. "She's.... Gabriel Agreste's assisisistant...My uhhhh.... My neighbour....Yeah." the boy was nuzzling her trapped hand, and Ladybug gave him a very unimpressed look.

 

"Chat."

 

"...Yeeeeessss, m'lady?"

 

"Focus. You can snuggle this outta your system later. Akuma, Chat. Akuma." Chat made a loud whine at the back of his throat, and Ladybug used her free hand to cover his mouth, silencing him. Looking back over her shoulder she checked for any signs of the spider woman, before ducking down, taking Chat with her, "Chat, does this woman have anything she always has on her that might be akumatized?" Chat Noir lifted his head, pressing a finger to his chin to mimic deep pondering.

 

"Maybe her...Clipboard? Or.... A pen?" he slurred out, giving another giggle. Ladybug peered back out again; the street had gotten far too quiet for her liking. The people out there had stopped screaming, and if that was anything besides an indication that they'd be in trouble when they left the store, she'd eat her own boot.

 

"Clipboard or a pen. Got it." she murmured. Had she seen one earlier? Arachnaphobie had only been using one hand to shoot her webbing... "It must be in her left hand, then. She didn't use it once when we were out there." Ladybug put her mind to a plan. "Chat Noir, can you focus enough to distract Arachnaphobie again?" the boy in question simply smiled and nodded, eyes glazed over in a daze. She frowned, "Chat. Confirmation please."

 

"Whaddo I get out of it?" he slurred out, a cheeky grin splitting across his face as he wiggled his brows.

 

"You get to save all of Paris from a giant spider monster." Ladybug deadpanned in reply.

 

"...I wanna kiss more." of course he did.

 

"Well you're just going to have to wait more buddy-boy, right now we have to fight a big scary spider lady."

 

"....Can I kiss you more after we defeat the akuma?" Chat Noir gave a pout, Ladybug heaved a sigh. Honestly, a few kisses and some catnip and this boy became incorrigible.

 

"Yes, fine. You gotta focus and help me out though, okay kitty?"

 

"...Promise?"

 

"Yes, yes, promise." he was looking so pleased with himself, nodding back eagerly to her. With another sigh she stood, once again taking him with her, "Alright Chat. Get out there and do your thing. Don't let me down!" she pushed the boy in the direction of the store entrance and he went off running...Well, kinda. More like teetering around drunk really really fast. As he broke out into the street and started singing the Spiderman theme again (louder this time; drunk Chat Noir had no volume control), Ladybug darted after him. Almost instantly Arachnaphobie was on him, shooting her webs from an adjacent rooftop. Chat Noir wobbled in and out of the webs being fired, tripping once and again as he continued to sing as loud as he could. Ladybug was calling out her lucky charm; a bug net fell into her hands. What the hell was she going to do with this?

 

Chat Noir's yelp of surprise caught her attention from the net, and she looked up to find him stuck to the pavement with webbing. Arachnaphobie's heavy body landed above him, shadowing his figure with her immense abdomen. Ladybug took this as her chance to catch the spider woman, and darted out, lifting her arms above her as she went. With a superhuman jump she landed on Nathalie's arachnid abdomen, and brought the net over her head and shoulders. Arachnaphobie gave a yell of anger, but her facial expression never faltered from it's usual stoney look. With her everything from her forearms and up caught under the net, she began thrashing around in an attempt to knock Ladybug from her back. Underneath them Ladybug heard Chat Noir yelp in pain, but knew this was her only chance to de-transform the woman that was bucking and thrashing frantically beneath her. Chat Noir would have to wait. Holding on tight to some of the long thick hair protruding from Arachnaphobie's back, Ladybug used her free hand to reach out, grasping at the spider's clenched left palm.

 

She managed to wrench away the fancy wooden engraved pen before she was thrown from Nathalie's back, hitting the ground with a grunt. The akumatized victim before her turned on her spider heels, furiously clicking her chelicera, but Ladybug was already snapping the pen, the black butterfly fluttering out and away. Ladybug caught it and purified it as quickly as she could, not even bothering to wish the now white butterfly away as she scrambled to her feet to get to Chat Noir. "Chat! Are you okay?" she gasped, dropping to her knees and yanking at the webs. He groaned from under his web blanket, and Ladybug gently pushed some of his hair back from his face. She sighed, just a small 'C' shaped cut to his temple; his hair covered it as she let if fall back over his face.

 

"...Do I get my kiss yet?" Chat Noir whined out, and she smiled softly. Kissing his opposite temple, she got up and retrieved the bug net from next to Nathalie, who was sitting there dazed. With Lucky Charm washing away all the spider webs and easing down all of the civilians from up in their web traps in the background, Ladybug went to her silly kitty, who was wobbling up to his feet. His face was still a little dazed; either he had a minor concussion or he was still under the effects of catnip... Or both. Not wanting Chat to embarrass himself further in his drunken stupor she yo-yoed them away from the gathering crowd, until their shouts could no longer be heard.

 

The minute she landed, Chat Noir was wrapping his arms around her neck, mouth lazily dragging along her chin. Ladybug frowned, gently pressing her hands against his face to aim him upwards at her lips. Once situated there, he was kissing as much as he could. Drunk, sloppy kissing, but kissing all the same. Chat Noir's tongue kept flicking out against Ladybug's lower lip, begging her to open her mouth to deepen the kiss further. Ladybug simply teased by moving her mouth more; parting it just enough that Chat thought he had an opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, only to be shut down as her mouth shut against his. She wasn't quite ready for open mouth kisses, after all. Still, Chat Noir seemed happy to take what he could get. The kissing continued until Ladybug's earring's began beeping; the sound that resonated from them sobering Chat Noir up right away.

 

"....I gotta go." Ladybug whispered against the cat boy's lips, his panting puffing hotly against her face. Chat Noir swallowed, blinking a few times as he came down from the catnip high.

 

"Ladybug, I..." Ladybug shushed him with a small kiss.

 

"I'll see you around, Chat. Make sure to clean up that cut, okay?" she smiled, before her ears began beeping again. Lifting Chat's arms away from around her neck, she gently pressed them into his chest. With one final soft kiss, Ladybug turned and ran, not catching the words the boy called after her as she darted out into the night.

  


\---

  


When Marinette woke up she felt a heavy weight on her chest. And it wasn't just her heavy heart from the night prior; cat Chat Noir had curled up there and was apparently trying to suffocate her in her sleep. Marinette gave him a sleepy smile, scratching him behind the ears; it was enough to rouse him and spook him down from her loft and to one of the hidey holes he'd made in her room. Rolling her eyes she stirred Tikki into consciousness. The two went about their regular morning routine: Marinette groaning about her seemingly endless amount of bruising, Tikki getting chased by Chat Noir, Marinette realising she was probably going to be late because she'd been distracted by something in her room.... Nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until she was headed off to school that Marinette felt a mix of panic and pain rise in her chest.

 

She was going to have to see Adrien all day today. What was she going to do? How would she act? Everything had changed for her literally overnight... The thought of staring at the back of his head all day was heartbreaking, not to mention they had a chemistry project to work on together. Still.... He saw her as a good friend, someone he was able to open up to, and she couldn't give him the cold shoulder after that. He was already much more sensitive than she had originally thought. Sighing heavily to herself, she knew she'd have to 'go with the flow', just like Alya and her had talked about the night before....Although Marinette was pretty sure that the flow this time wouldn't lead to a makeout session on a rooftop.

 

Upon entering the classroom, Marinette found herself picking up on some majorly awkward vibes. She honestly should have realised this was going to happen.

 

Alya was looking pissed as all hell, arms across her chest defensively as she bore holes into the back of Adrien's head. Adrien was looking anxious, not able to look up from his desk to meet her eye. Nino was looking in between the two, clearly having no idea what was going on between them. As she stepped in she caught Adrien's eye, and he looked up at her, visibly relieved. "Morning Marinette." he managed out with a small smile. Alya's eyes glared harder, if even possible.

 

"Morning, Adrien." she managed back, swallowing down her raging heart as she gave him the best smile she could muster. Alya gave her a look, but Marinette wasn't ready to meet her eye just yet, "Y-you up for working on our project today?" she asked, and her heart wept over how happy the boy looked.

 

"Yeah! Of course! How about during lunch time we get started?" he asked with a smile. Marinette shot Alya a look then; her bestie had probably been intimidating the living daylights out of Adrien all morning, and that's probably why he was so happy Marinette was talking to her. She hoped to hell and back Alya hadn't mentioned anything about her crying, or she'd probably just drop dead.

 

"Sounds good." she smiled back, before passing by him so she no longer had to maintain eye contact with the boy. Seating herself next to Alya, she groaned as the girl next to her shot Adrien another dirty look, before hanging a defensive arm across Marinette's petite shoulders. Adrien got the hint; his head had followed her to her seat, but the minute Alya made her move he flinched back to his desk, no longer making eye contact. Marinette gave a sigh; it was going to be a long morning.

  


\---

  


"So, uh.... Did I do something to piss Alya off?" Adrien's voice cut through the silence of the school study room they'd booked, "I seriously thought she was going to eat me all morning." They'd met up shortly before lunch began, after Marinette had to have some very serious words with her red-haired friend about how 'Adrien had no clue that he'd hurt her' and how she 'needed to be nicer to him because honestly he didn't deserve getting the cold shoulder'. Marinette swallowed nervously. She'd been fine with the silence, it had been a lot easier on her heart. Now was time to chat though, apparently. Marinette steadied her heart; she had to keep composed for her friend.

 

"Oh, that? She's just uh..." Marinette rubbed at the back of her head with a clothed hand, averting her eyes from his, "She's just in a bad mood today. Don't mind her, she should get better soon." she better get better soon, or Marinette was pretty sure she'd die from second hand embarrassment. Adrien just kept staring at her from across the table, and it was enough for her heart to ache as much as the rest of her body did. It was quite obvious he didn't quite believe that Alya was just 'in a bad mood'. She only ever acted like that to one other person, and that person was Chloe. And it was no secret that the two _hated_ each other.

 

"Is this, um..." Adrien began again as he cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "Is this about our... Talk yesterday? Did I.... I hope I didn't do anything to... Upset you, or..."

 

"No, No! Adrien, definitely not that!" Marinette gasped, shaking her head furiously from side to side. She was blatantly lying to him, yes, but the poor boy already looked upset about the whole ordeal as it was, "I'm not upset, everything's alright." her weak smile wasn't necessarily the most convincing, but the boy across from her needed reassuring. The last thing she wanted was for him to shell up again, to feel like he couldn't put his trust in her. "Alya is seriously just moody today, that's all. Honest." he pondered this for a bit, before giving a sigh.

 

"If you say so, Marinette..." he breathed, rubbing his far too beautiful face tiredly, "I was stressing all morning about it. You, Alya, Nino.... You guys are all important friends to me," the word 'friend' practically ripped out Marinette's heart; her smile didn't falter, "I would hate to lose any of you over some dumb mistake I made." with a relieved smile, the boy gently pushed his hand up through his toussled blond locks, and Marinette was pretty sure her heart stopped. Along his right temple was a very obvious cut. A cut that was a perfect shaped 'c'.

 

A cut that looked far too familiar for her liking.

 

"Wh-where did that cut come from?" she blurted out, and he froze, looking over at her as his hand fell from his hair. The blond locks fell over the cut, hiding it from view.

 

"What?" Adrien asked, before he flashed a quick smile, "Oh, I got cut during fencing last night. It was a total accident... I wasn't paying much attention." he laughed out. Marinette swallowed. He had been cut during fencing... Yeah. That seemed like a perfectly good explanation. But the placement and the shape.... Images of a drunk Chat Noir groaning on the pavement came into mind, and her heart was in her throat. No way. It was a coincidence. Coincidences like that happened all the time. Still, her heart wouldn't calm. It appeared that she was too quiet, as Adrien quirked a concerned brow, "Uh.... Marinette?" her eyes snapped to his face, and suddenly his eyes were far too green for her liking, "You... Okay over there? You still feeling sick?"

 

Marinette swallowed, her tongue suddenly very thick and heavy in her mouth, "Oh, y-yeah! Just feeling a little under the weather still! Yeah..." she managed out, plastering a wide, fake smile on her face. Adrien mentioned something about her needing to take better care of herself, but she was only half listening. It was a coincidence. It had to be. Adrien Agreste was a sweet, innocent, precious boy with a sensitive heart.  Adrien Agreste was a classmate and, as much as it hurt her to think about, just a good friend. Adrien Agreste was nothing like a certain kitty that kept popping up in her head....

 

Except... Hadn't she just compared how similar the boys' hearts were the night before?

 

Marinette was suddenly feeling terribly nauseous. There was absolutely, one hundred percent, NO way that there were any ties in between the two boys. When Mylene had been akumatized, Adrien had been a victim. He'd been at the scene of a crime... Yeah! She hadn't seen him, but he'd definitely been there, she'd heard him! And he'd been at the mayor's office when Darkblade attacked. She hadn't seen him arrive, but he said he'd been turned into a dark knight....Yeah, that was enough proof, right? Still, something about that cut wouldn't stop eating at the back of her mind, and it kept gnawing away at her as she quietly focused on getting their project done.

 

Screams from outside had her jolting out of her prying thoughts, and she stared wide eyed at the door of the study. She'd have to think about this later, because apparently Hawkmoth had every intention of keeping her busy this week. "Bathroom!" she blurted, spooking the boy across from her, who'd also been staring at the door. Before he could open his mouth she was darting out the door. She didn't have time to be making assumptions about far too coincidental occurrences between the two blond boys in her life.

 

Not when giant mops were terrorizing the school grounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this chapter had me a strugglin', gotta say. Sorry for the wait, life has been a little on the hectic side over here :x Things should simmer down in about 2 weeks. Also can you tell I've literally never kissed in my life? How do they even work. Not sure what happened with the spacing here, I tried typing it in google docs instead of notepad to get words to italicize, and it kinda... blew up.
> 
> Hope it's okay :x Enjoy!
> 
> Also, big thanks again to kali_asleep for helping me go over the first bit! She's the best! if you haven't read her stuff yet, you should go do that now!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you think I'm going to fall for your innocent act, Adrien?!" Alya snarled through tears. Adrien swallowed, and for the first time since this conversation began, he straightened. Alya's eyes narrowed, but he knew he couldn't falter in his composure now. He had to fess up to his faults.

Adrien knew he was in deep shit.

For what exactly, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that the minute he stepped in through the classroom door, a pair of eyes were boring into the side of his head. He honestly expected an akuma or Hawkmoth or something to be sitting in the spot the glaring was coming from. Much to his surprise, it was Alya. Adrien cleared his throat, smiling awkwardly at the girl, "Uh..... Hey Alya." he managed through pressed teeth, a false grin across his face. Alya narrowed her eyes and pinched together her already tight lips. Adrien swallowed, "....So hopefully Marinette is feeling better today, right?" he laughed out. Talking about Marinette always cheered up the red head, right?

Wrong.

Alya shifted as if to stand, one hand balled up into a fist as Adrien flinched away. She was going to beat the living daylights out of him. Adrien never thought that he would die by bludgeoning; he was always under the impression that Plagg's cheese smell would be what offed him in the end. "Alya! Hey now, let's just... Let's... Put the fist down?" he managed out. Had he not seen her akumatized before, he would have been certain she had been now. Her face was twisted with so much anger and her half raised pose so intimidating, she looked like a completely different person. Adrien found himself raising his hands innocently, swallowing at the sudden panic at the back of his throat. As Alya began to move to full standing position, Nino arrived in the doorway, and clapping a hand on Adrien's shoulder, the boy behind him laughed.

"Yo, mornin' peeps!" he cheered out. Nino had never been good at reading moods, "Alya, babe! Lookin' feisty! Come on dude, let's grab our seats!" wrapping an arm around Adrien's shoulder, the bespectacled boy whistled a tune as he dragged Adrien over to his seat....That much closer to Adrien's impending doom. Being pushed down into his seat as Nino turned to greet the leering Alya with an overly chipper grin, Adrien tucked his hands in between his thighs and stared at the corner of his desk, sweating anxiously as he kept his eyes as far from Alya's direction as possible. At one point in his life he recalled watching a documentary that taught one to never look in the eyes of a wolf, because it would be seen as a threat to their dominance and you'd probably be killed for it. That knowledge sprung to life as the she-wolf behind him practically shredded him apart through the back of his sunny blond hair, challenging him to even glance in her general direction. Adrien was thinking furiously. What could he have done to piss off the feisty redhead behind him? Had he forgotten something important? Had he done something wrong? The only time Alya ever got this defensive was when something happened to---

Marinette.

This was about Marinette.

Marinette and him.

Had she found out about them sharing a bed? No... Alya wouldn't be mad about that, no way...Would she? She always got excited when the two friends were given opportunities to get closer. Adrien paled as the speculations from the night prior came to replay in his head. He'd hurt Marinette's feelings, doing something, and now Alya was going to go all mama bear on his ass. The boy groaned, pressing the not sore part of his head against his palm. His movement caught the beast's attention again and he flinched; he could literally feel Alya's murderous intent tearing all the way through him, right through his desk, all the way to the pits of hell. He had to fix this before it got worse, he had to fix this before---

"So! Adrien, how was your nap date with Marinette in the nurse's room yesterday?" Nino had to be the most clueless human being in the whole damn world, and Adrien could have cried, "I checked up on you with the nurse around lunch and you guy's were looking AWFULLY comfy." Adrien was going to die. Adrien was going to die and his tombstone was going to read 'mauled to death by wild animal'. And then he was going to haunt Nino for the rest of the boy's living days for literally throwing him to the sharks. Er, shark.

"Nino," Adrien began in a hushed voice, "Now's not the ti---"

"DO TELL How that went, Adrien, hmmm?" Adrien shrunk deeper into his chair as Alya's voice cut him off, and he almost whimpered. Almost. "Please, I'm DYING to know." by she was dying to know, she meant he was going to die very soon if he didn't come up with an excuse that sated her relentless rage. She didn't say that, of course, but Adrien could literally feel her death threats coming off in waves. He couldn't turn around for the life of him, and honestly he couldn't remember a time he'd been more intimidated in his life. He'd argued with his FATHER and hadn't been as scared for his life as he was at this exact moment. When he couldn't find something to say, Alya slapped her hand down on her desk, the boy's shoulder's flinching up to protect his jugular from being torn open, "WELL, Adrien?"

"W-we were just resting, honest." why did he feel like he was lying? Probably because he was being scrutinized by the god of death herself. He heard her make a growl in the back of her throat, and in his peripheral saw her sit back down. She didn't take her eyes off of him, and Adrien wished he was Chat Noir at that exact moment so he could use his extending staff and shoot himself out of the room. Nino, bless his dear little heart, had no clue what was going on. He kept looking to Alya, and the Adrien, and then Alya again. Back and forth, not understanding why the hell they weren't chatting like they always did. Adrien loved the boy, loved him so much, but he really needed to learn how to fricking pick up on social cues. Adrien could only hope that something would save him from his impending doom, that luck would turn his way.

Marinette stepped through the doorway.

He released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and met her eyes, "Morning Marinette." he managed out. He was being watched, very carefully; Alya was stalking her prey. All she needed was an opportunity to jump in for the kill. Marinette smiled at him; thank goodness. He could fix this. And then she was talking about working on their project. Together. Which meant alone time to figure this nonsense out before it got worse. Adrien hadn't thought about kissing Marinette too often, but given the situation he was ready to fling himself at her and kiss her silly. She was literally a saving grace. He could fix this before he died. Because Alya was going to kill him.

They made plans for lunch, and Adrien had never been so relieved to work on homework in his life. The blond watched as Marinette strolled past him, and took her seat behind him. He had to figure out how he was going to bring up this situation while still being careful about everyone's feelings. He hadn't realised he'd been staring until Alya's arm slid around Marinette's shoulders, and he could have sworn he heard her snarl at him. The boy turned back so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.

 

\---

 

The first two periods had been hell. Adrien had focused in on taking notes, doing work, but the entire morning he felt Alya's malicious intent. He tried to think of a smooth, careful way to talk to Marinette, but every time he played a situation through his head Marinette ended up crying, and he ended up in a bloody pile of Adrien. Just before lunch began Adrien had whisked Marinette away, not wanting to spend another moment under the eye of Alya the lioness. He'd dragged the midnight haired girl to the library, requested a private study room, and had been sitting there with her in awkward silence for nearly 15 minutes before he found his voice.

"So, uh.... Did I do something to piss Alya off?" his voice cracked in the silence, and Marinette looked up at him curiously, "I seriously thought she was going to eat me all morning." he joked, kinda, not really. The girl across from him looked contemplative, serious. She was thinking of an excuse for her friend's actions, he could tell.

"Oh, that? She's just uh..." Marinette had reached back to rub the back of her head, averting her eyes from him. Adrien leaned a little further forwards in his seat as her voice became a little quieter, "She's just in a bad mood today. Don't mind her, she should get better soon." Bad mood? That wasn't just a bad mood. Adrien had seen Alya in a bad mood, and it usually didn't involve any near death experiences. It became painfully obvious to Adrien that he was going to have to go right to the source. Steeling himself in case Marinette began crying, he cleared his throat, catching her eye again.

"Is this, um..." his voice cracked again, he cleared it once more, "Is this about our... Talk yesterday?" Marinette froze up in place, and he grimaced a little. He'd hit the proverbial nail on the head, "Did I.... I hope I didn't do anything to... Upset you, or..."

"No, No! Adrien, definitely not that!" Marinette cut him off before he could finish, furiously shaking her head. He bit the inside of his cheek; she was lying to him. Probably to stop his feelings from getting hurt, or maybe to avoid any further conflict? He wasn't sure which one, but his heart faltered. Marinette was far too sweet and considerate for her own good. He knew that he should apologize, but images of her crying face kept swimming back into his brain, numbing the words on his tongue. He sighed. He wasn't going to be able to talk to her about this, not right now, anyways. So much for fixing the problem before it got worse.

"If you say so, Marinette..." he breathed, rubbing his face tiredly, "I was stressing all morning about it. You, Alya, Nino.... You guys are all important friends to me," she was looking at him with those big, beautiful eyes of hers, and he couldn't help but smile a little, "I would hate to lose any of you over some dumb mistake I made." Knowing he wasn't going to get anymore out of this conversation, he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and closed his eyes to focus himself. A little gasp erupted from the girl across from him, and it was him opening his eyes again to catch her staring at him.

"Wh-where did that cut come from?"

Adrien's whole body froze up, and his hand faltered in his hair, the locks falling right back into place across his face. It wasn't an overly obvious cut or anything; when Arach-Nathalie had been dancing around his head the night prior one of her stiletto spider legs had caught the corner of his head. None of the civilians would have seen, and he was pretty sure he'd have noticed if Marinette had been amongst them. Maybe. He had been a little... Tipsy last night. He realised he'd been too quiet for too long. He would just use the excuse he and Plagg had come up with the night before.

"What?" Adrien asked, before he flashed a model quality smile, "Oh, I got cut during fencing last night. It was a total accident... I wasn't paying much attention." people got little cuts and scrapes all the time, nothing out of the usual about that, right? She was staring, her sapphire eyes boring into his very soul. The way her eyes moved on him, observing and taking in every little thing, made him swallow. Ladybug looked at him like that the night prior. Ladybug made that exact same face of concern when she'd been looking down at him. Quirking a brow, he steadied his voice, "Uh.... Marinette?" her eyes snapped back to his and his heart fluttered anxiously, "You... Okay over there? You still feeling sick?"

"Oh, y-yeah! Just feeling a little under the weather still! Yeah..."

Adrien realised maybe he was overthinking all of this. He probably was; damn paranoia. It wasn't his fault he had to worry about acting like someone else and protecting a secret identity at the same time, "You really ought to take better care of yourself, Marinette." he sighed out, looking down at the papers all over the table in front of them. When she didn't reply, he guessed that she was lost in her own mind, cute little Marinette brain ticking away at something. There they were, two friends that had both blatantly lied to each other all through a single conversation. He felt the guilt piling up in his heart, but he didn't want to press the girl anywhere she wouldn't be comfortable. He was about to start working again when screaming echoed through the background.

Stiffening, Adrien's head shot to stare at the door. More muffled screaming, the all too familiar sounds of panic. Marinette shouted something, jumping up to her feet and catching his attention back to her. Bathroom break? Right now? "Marinette, wait--" he gasped, arm extending to reach to her, but she as already gone. Damn that girl was fast. He wanted to chase after her, but then it occurred to him... He was in a private study room, no windows and a closed door. It was the perfect opportunity to transform. He'd just find Marinette as Chat Noir, before she ran into some trouble on the way to the lavatory. "Plagg, it's time. Transform me."

 

\---

 

Chat Noir darted out of the library, skidding to a halt at the scene before him. The school was being terrorized by... Cleaning utensils. Giant mops swished and bubbled angrily, brooms pushed innocent bystanders into bin sized dustpans. Chat Noir's eyes frantically searched for the akuma behind this, or for Marinette, the small defenseless girl that had the most inconvenient bladder of all time. He found the latter. She was running hard, bee lining for the door at the end of the hall. Chat Noir's eyes widened as a broom head went swinging in her direction, and he jumped into action.

"MARINETTE DUCK!" he called out, startling the girl who froze in place to look back at him. Tsking to himself he ran at her, dropping his body to skid himself baseball style across the ground as he caught her around the waist, dragging the small girl down along with him just in time for the broom head to narrowly miss her face. His body stuttered to a halt on the linoleum; thank goodness for this suit or he'd have the most hardcore case of road rash. He tucked the girl into his chest, who was looking up at him in surprise. Chat Noir couldn't help but flash a grin, "Hey Princess. Bet you weren't expecting me to sweep you off your feet today, huh?" Marinette groaned at his pun, and he felt his grin stretch.

"Chat Noir, what are you doing here?" she asked, exasperated. He stood, taking her with him as he carried her bridal style in his arms; she squeaked indignantly and threw her arms around his neck.

"Of course I came knowing there was a damsel in distress in need of my protection!" he gloated, his smile faltering as the broom was coming back for a second round. Chat Noir ducked, dodging the broom with ease, before spring boarding himself up and over the rail to the first floor, Marinette in tow. Landing graceful as his feline title would suggest he would, he tucked the wriggling girl in his arms close under his chin, eyes narrowing. He already had a guess as to who'd been akumatized; the janitor had probably lost it over how frustrating it was cleaning up after a bunch of punk ass teens. "Don't worry Princess, I'll keep you safe." he breathed into her hair. He wouldn't be able to fight much with her in his arms, but he would make due until he could find a place where she would be safe.

"I'm perfectly capable of keeping myself safe, thanks." she snapped back, pushing at him. He just squeezed her tighter. She was so small! Did she not realise just how small she was? He loved it when he got to see her like this, the Marinette she never was when he was Adrien, but honestly she was just being ridiculous.

"Nope. For now, Princess, I will be your chatperone." he grinned, and the girl in his arms face palmed. A mop head came whizzing in their direction, and Chat Noir leapt again, the mop hitting the ground with a splat. Chat Noir flipped and landed, nearly slipping and falling onto his ass as his feet found the floor absolutely sopping wet. Marinette yelped when he faltered and tucked herself in close under his chin; it was enough for him to focus and steady his feet. He wasn't just watching his own ass right now, after all.

One after another giant mops, brooms, cleaning spray bottles, and many other assorted cleaning utensils threw themselves at Chat Noir and his small, dainty companion. He slipped and jumped through them with ease, and couldn't help but grin at himself and wonder what it looked like to the civilians all around. He imagined that it looked like dancing, but more cool. Because he was Chat Noir, obviously. Every once again he slipped, but he could pull it off like it was purposeful. With every movement he felt Marinette tense or gasp in his arms, but he could tell that it was never in fear. He knew Marinette wouldn't be frightened by something like this, no matter how petite. All the while during their dance he searched for the akumatized janitor; he never made an appearance.

"Chat." Marinette's voice piped up under his head as he narrowly avoided another swirling mop and perched on a bench table, "Chat, seriously. I'm only an inconvenience like this. I'll stay out of trouble, really!" Chat Noir knew Marinette was right; he was being stubborn hauling her around like this and knew that when Ladybug showed up he would eventually have to actually buckle down and fight. He had to admit though, holding Marinette in his arms like this felt very right. She was small, and a perfect fit, too.

"...Alright fine." he wasn't huffing, she would definitely be safer elsewhere. Looking around for a good place to put her, Chat Noir narrowly slid under a dustpan and bounced out the entrance of the school. Out here it was calm, safe. Chat Noir shifted Marinette so she was tucked under one arm, much to her chagrin, and extended his staff, vaulting them both up onto the roof. He carefully placed her down, holding her hand tight as she glared down at him, clearly unimpressed. He couldn't help but find it adorable, "You stay here, where I know for certain you will be safe. When My Lady and I quell the akuma I will come back for you," he smiled as he gently kissed her knuckles, and she gave him an eye roll, "Fear not, my princess! I'll be back quick as a cat!" with that said he dropped back off of the quiet of the roof, and back into the chaos that was the school.

Wincing as he darted past Chloe, who had literally just taken a giant mop head to the face, Chat Noir began searching for the janitor. He hadn't shown his face at all.... And neither had Ladybug, for that matter. Did she know there was an akuma incident right now? Chat Noir leapt gracefully over a pair of clashing mop heads, getting splattered by soapy water in the process. He landed but slid, yelping as he went straight into a classroom door. At least Marinette hadn't been in his arms at that moment. With a groan he gave his head a rub, cracking an eye open as he heard a giggle from somewhere up above.

"Having fun down there, chaton?" his heart gave a leap like it always did whenever Ladybug was nearby.

"What took you so long, My Lady?" he grinned out as she reached down to take his hand, yanking him back up onto his slippery feet.

"I got held up by a cheeky cat." she replied. He laughed; that kitty she was pet sitting must have been a handful. She was looking around, and he blinked, "So there's been no sign of the akuma?" Chat Noir shook his head.

"I've been looking for it. Obviously it's the janitor, but he hasn't made an appearance." she nodded and pursed her lips in thought; Chat Noir desperately wanted to scoop her into his arms and kiss her silly. Now wasn't the time. "I did notice that the amount of giant possessed cleaning supplies has grown since the attack began." She contemplated, and then snapped her fingers.

"The janitor's closet. Has to be." Chat Noir would have smacked himself if his lady hadn't been standing before him. He was stupid; that should have been the first place he checked. Instead he laughed and nodded, and when he looked up Ladybug was gone. Damn she was a speedy one... Chat Noir darted after her, catching up with ease as they slipped and bounced through attacking brooms and furious spray bottles. All too quickly the skidded (Chat Noir slid, missed his mark, and had to come leaping back to his lady's side with a sheepish grin) to a halt in front of the janitor closet's door.

"Ladies first," Chat Noir purred with a bow, and Ladybug kicked the door down without a second thought. The janitor's closet was also the furnace room, so it seemed; the stairway down was brightly lit and the lights below danced gleefully along the walls. Chat Noir couldn't help but recall the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia.... And the further they went down the stairs, the more it became clear that the scene before him was most DEFINITELY like the old Disney film.

All around them cleaning items came bouncing to life, and every once and again they'd multiply and begin their ascent to the terrorized school above. Ladybug and Chat Noir narrowly avoided them in the shadows, and then Chat Noir saw him. At the far back, the heat of the furnace warping his form, was the janitor. Chat Noir's claws were at the ready at once, Ladybug pulling her yo-yo from her hip. 

"Chat, you take care of the utensils. I'll go straight for the source of the problem." Chat Noir simply grinned in response, and was off, claws snapping through a handful of magical brooms with one swift swipe. The snapping and clattering caught the janitor's attention immediately, and he turned with sharp eyes. He didn't even get to open his mouth and threaten them before he took a yo-yo to the face. Chat felt more than saw Ladybug whiz by, he was more focused on taking on the never ending brooms and mops that came after him in hoards. At some point he heard Ladybug call her lucky charm, but didn't call for his help. He kept doing what had to be done.

And all too suddenly it was over. The brooms he was fighting shrunk back to size, or dissapeared completely as Ladybug's magic enveloped the room, washing Chat with an intense warmth as it slipped up the stairs. Chat Noir turned and Ladybug's dainty fist met his, "Good Game," he beamed, and she smiled back. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, pull her close, dip her low and romantic, and kiss her until the cows came home. And seeing as he had no cows, that would be an awfully, no... Wonderfully long time.

Except he'd left someone up on the roof.

Chat cursed under his breath, and Ladybug quirked a brow, "I'm sorry, my lady," he breathed out heavily, "but I forgot a little princess up on the roof." Ladybug faltered, but laughed.

"Oh? Then you best go be rescuing your princess then, Chaton!" she smiled out, and before he could blink she leaned forwards and pecked him on the lips, darting up the staircase. Chat Noir stood, a little stunned. Would he ever get used to kissing Ladybug, even just a little? Probably not. Definitely not. When he finally became aware that he'd been standing there for a little too long, the dazed janitor in the furnace room peering at him questionably, Chat Noir gave a groan, and he was off.

Landing on the roof, he found Marinette exactly where he'd left her, although she looked a little flushed, like she'd been running.

"What took you so long? It's freezing up here, kitty cat." she was chastising him, but she was smiling. He smiled back, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders; she gave him a look but didn't shrug him away.

"I needed a catnap from all that cleaning up I had to do, princess," he grinned, and she groaned in frustration at his really bad joke. He snickered in response, before scooping her up again; the little yelp that slipped from her throat would never cease to amuse him, and just like that he was bounding down to deliver the little lady to the safe haven of the tidied up school below.

 

\---

 

"We need to talk."

Adrien faltered at the classroom door as Alya's voice broke through his concentration. He swallowed nervously, turning to her slow and careful. Marinette had left long ago, as had Nino. He had no means of protection from the beast now. Alright Adrien, calm and composed now, "O-oh?" he cracked out, wincing at his so called 'composure'. He soldiered on, "What is it that you want to talk about, Alya?" he already knew how she'd answer.

"You know exactly what we need to talk about, Mr. Agreste." oh yes, he was in a lot of trouble.

"V-very well," Adrien swallowed, his tongue going numb, "W-would you like to talk here? Or..." he looked around; at some point the class had emptied. He'd been abandoned.

"Do you know what you've done, Mr.Agreste?" Alya's tone was sharp, and he flinched. He hated being called 'Mr.Agreste'. Mr. Agreste was his father. He was Adrien, and not 'Mr..Agreste'.

"I've done something to upset you?" he gave a nervous shrug, trying to smile it out. The hand that slammed against the door mere inches from Adrien's face indicated that this wasn't going to end that easily. Alya was glaring hard into his face, and he swallowed, shrinking into himself.

"You've hurt Marinette," Alya began, and every word stabbed at him in ways he couldn't describe, "You hurt her and you have the nerve to act all friendly and carefree with her." Adrien swallowed again, trying to find words. He'd never been good with conflict, not when he was just Adrien.

"Look, Alya, honestly.... We were just lying down together! I swear I would never do anything..... Innapropriate to Marinette. Never. She's my friend! I trust her with every fibre of my being, and---"

"THAT ISN'T WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!" Alya roared, Adrien's words dying on his tongue. He could see Alya's rage building, she looked like she was about to explode. 

"I-It isn't? I'm sorry Alya, I don't---"

"YOU BROKE HER HEART, ADRIEN."

Adrien's heart stopped. 

Alya's shout rang violently in his ears, reverberating down into his rib cage, bouncing around his unmoving heart, and right back up to impale his brain. His eyes were wide, staring up into Alya's own eyes as she glowered down at him. He didn't understand. He'd missed something. His mouth gaping open and closed like a fish, he thought he'd finally found some words that would escape his lips.

"What?"

Well, one word.

"You CAN'T POSSIBLY be that dense, blondie!" Alya snarled, slamming her hand against the door again and making him jump, shrink deeper into himself, "She was in LOVE with you, Adrien Agreste. That girl was crushing harder than ANYONE I'd ever seen! And you took that sweet, harmless little crush, and you tore it up into pieces and broke her heart!" Adrien was taking this all in, but none of it was really sticking. No way. Marinette had liked him? Adrien knew he was going to regret the next words that he managed out. He said them anyways.

"Since when?" it left him like a desperate breath, and Alya's raging face faltered, if only a small amount.

"You're kidding. You're kidding me." she laughed out; it was a laugh full of anger, confusion...Pain? "Practically since she first laid eyes on you! EVERYONE knew about it! EVERYONE!" Adrien's eyes couldn't break from Alya's. She was tearing up in her rage, but she kept pushing through, "Did you seriously never wonder why she was so shy around you?! Did you never consider that there was a reason she couldn't manage out a simple sentence in front of you?! Are you honestly telling me that you never noticed her feelings? Never?!?" Alya's chest was heaving, and her face was red with tears and anger. Adrien's heart still hadn't started up; all of this new information was heavy in his lungs.

Marinette Dupain-Chang had been in love with him. She'd been so incredibly fond of him that she became a fumbling, shy, adorable mess in front of him every time they came into contact with one another. His face was literally everywhere in her bedroom. She always became frustrated when Chloe began hanging all over him. Nino had.... Oh god, Nino had been dropping hints this whole time. Nino AND Alya. Thinking back on it, it all made sense... He honestly just figured no one really like liked him beyond the fact that he was a model.

She'd liked him all this time. And he, Adrien Agreste, had opened his heart to that girl and, rather senselessly, had gushed to her about his love and adoration for another without even thinking of the consequences. Marinette had pitied him and kept strong for him. Adrien had been dense. He'd been dense and stupid and moronic and because of that he'd hurt her. Marinette Dupain-Chang. 

His first real friend. 

"I'm sorry." the words came out, and Alya's rage faltered, "I honestly, I.... I didn't...." Alya's eyes never left his own.

"Do you think I'm going to fall for your innocent act, Adrien?!" Alya snarled through tears. Adrien swallowed, and for the first time since this conversation began, he straightened. Alya's eyes narrowed, but he knew he couldn't falter in his composure now. He had to fess up to his faults.

"Alya. I didn't know." his voice broke with the strength of all of the emotions that were tearing at his heart. He was hurting for Marinette. Hurting for her sweet and innocent crush on him. A crush that he'd seamlessly decimated overnight like it was nothing. Like her feelings were nothing. He felt like he could cry at any given moment but one of them had to keep it together, so he didn't. Alya was quiet, and Adrien swallowed. "I'm sorry Alya." his eyes were raw with honesty, and realisation dawned on Alya's pained face.

"You really.... You aren't lying... Are you." it was posed as a question, but didn't sound like one. Adrien grimaced at the way the words sounded so weak on the otherwise powerful girl's tongue.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." it was all he could say. Alya's anger had cracked, and then there was only sadness. Pain for her friend. Adrien's heart clenched as a gurgled whimper escaped Alya's lips.

"You... You idiot!" she sobbed out, slapping the door behind him again. This time it was soft, weak, "You're an idiot. You're the stupidest idiot I've ever met." Adrien swallowed. The guilt was suffocating and he hated the dull pain that ached through his chest.

"I'm an idiot. I'm sorry." all he could do was apologize as Alya, someone he considered a dear friend, cried in front of him. He bit the inside of his cheek and stayed where he was as she wept. It seemed like an eternity until her tears ran dry, and she stood there, wiping her eyes.

"...I will talk to her." he finally breathed out when things were calming down. Alya leered at him wearily, wiping tears from her glasses, "I will.... I will fix this. She shouldn't hurt because of me. She deserves so much better." Adrien hesitated, but gently placed his hand on Alya's shoulder. She didn't shake him off, whether she was too wiped out from crying or she'd almost forgiven him, he wasn't sure. He was glad for it though. His hand trembling against her shoulder didn't go unnoticed.

"...Leave her alone for a while. Her heart is still raw." she mumbled out. Adrien nodded mutely, "I'm still mad at you. If you hadn't been so thick headed we could have avoided this."

"Someone would have been hurt eventually." Adrien murmured in reply. Alya chuckled weakly, shaking her head.

They stood for a while longer, both of them wondering whether or not the other party was going to say something more. Neither did. 

They both departed with heavy hearts.

 

\---

 

He knew that he was making a regretful life decision, but he couldn't help it; he had to check up on her, make sure she was okay. Chat Noir was slinking and leaping over rooftops, the bitter evening cold nipping at his face as it breezed through. After that eye-opening conversation with Alya, all he could think about was Marinette all afternoon. He'd been told off during a photo shoot for his lack of focus, got beaten and bruised in fencing, had been yelled at by Plagg like 8 times... Heck, even his father, who had made a brief appearance during Adrien's dinner, had mentioned how spacey the boy was. He couldn't help it. Just thinking of how badly he'd hurt her consumed every corner of his brain. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to make sure she'd be alright.

He knew how bad heartbreak stung.

Landing on the rooftop adjacent from the bakery, he squinted. The lights were off, so the entire household must have been asleep. Chat Noir took a few steps back before making a jumping leap, landing with a soft thump on the balcony that led to Marinette's room. Silent as a cat he crept up to the window trap-door that led to Marinette's bedroom. Very, very quietly, he curled his claws over the frame and peered down into the window.

Marinette was fast asleep on her raised bed, directly under the window. His heart faltered; he knew how much of a creep he was being, but couldn't stop watching. She looked so peaceful in the glow of the moonlight. Her hair, which he'd never seen down before, fluttered and fanned across her pillow. Her lips were parted and she was breathing heavily, deeply. She was tucked into a soft looking blanket from the armpits down, one arm resting next to her head, the other across her belly. A large black cat (Chat Noir Jr, he recalled) was curled up in a groove in the blankets between her thighs. Chat Noir breathed a sigh; she looked alright. Good.

He was about to avert his attention to leap away, but his eyes had begun focusing in on minor details, and he had to take a double take. The light from the moon and his dark vision nearly lit everything up so he could see it perfectly; bruises. Marinette's shoulders and arms were covered in blotchy bruises and cuts, and his brow raised. Why would a girl like Marinette, whose hobbies were sewing and design, be covered in bruises? He then focused in on the arm next to her face, and his breath caught in his throat.

There were bite marks all over her wrists.

They were faded, but definitely bite marks. Chat leaned forwards more, staring down at the girl below him. Marinette was covered in bruises and bite marks. His heart hammered in his throat, and panic built up in his chest as his mind took him down dark places. Had she.... Had she been attacked? Forced into doing something inappropriate against her will? Those bite marks weren't from any animal he'd ever seen. He thought of the past few days, and bit down in his inner cheek. She'd been bundling up, wearing arm warmers the past few days to school.... When had that begun? His eyes widened and he choked on his heart. 

He knew exactly which day she'd started wearing them.

The day she called in sick.

The day after he'd attacked Ladybug in a lust filled daze.

Marinette had been out on the streets, helpless, and he and Ladybug had called off patrol that night because of something stupid that he'd done. Chat Noir growled in frustration with himself, grinding a palm into the side of his head. He'd done this to her, hurt her twice without even knowing it. And sweet Marinette had been putting up a brave front and acting like everything was okay, like she always did. Because Marinette was a sweetheart who always worried for others and never about herself. If he could kick himself, he would. Chat Noir opened his eyes once more, and flinched in shock. He'd let his guard down in his frustration.

Marinette's brilliant blue eyes were wide, and staring right at him.

Even through the window the atmosphere was tense. He'd been caught watching her while she was vulnerable and sleeping. Her eyes wouldn't leave his face. When she finally moved, he flinched away, backing away from the door with a stumble and landing on his butt. Shit. Shit shit shit. He had to leave before he got himself in serious trouble. He had turned and scrambled up to his knees, and was going to leap away, but the door behind him creaking open stopped him in his tracks.

"Chat? What on earth are you doing here?!"

Chat Noir grimaced, looking over his shoulder at the small girl, who had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and was looking pissed. He swallowed nervously. He'd been caught. He should have known this was going to be the outcome for his foolish actions.

Curiousity killed the cat, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Alya is me. 
> 
> Sorry guys, like I said previously things are going to be hectic around these parts for a little while... My mum is getting married at the end of the week and has yanked me into helping out with everything. Every opportunity I'm getting I'm working to get chapters out as soon as I can for you :x
> 
> Also I am shamelessly smitten with Marichat so I needed some in this chapter.
> 
> Hope it's alright, thanks for continuing to read! I will get the next chapter out as soon as I can :'x I love you all <3
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr! Sockdilemma is who I am and where I'm at :3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's hands slipped down her face, and it was her time for her jaw to go slack. Chat Noir was still red, but he was looking... Shy? He hadn't figured it out? She'd literally pretty much just told him that he was the one who left the marks, and he honestly didn't put two and two together?

Growling from her rooftop had stirred Marinette from her sleep.

At first she thought nothing of it; there was after all a cat in her lap, and people heard weird noises at night all the time. Nothing out of the ordinary. The growl, however, had been followed by the sound of scraping claws on glass and the roof giving a soft creak above her. At that instant Marinette's eyes had snapped open, and she nearly screamed when she found a dark silhouette crouching in the glass of the balcony's trap door. First thing she thought? Akuma. Marinette was ready to yank Tikki out from under her pillow and transform then and there, but faltered as the shape shifted, and suddenly glowing green eyes were staring down at her.

Green eyes that were all too familiar.

"Chat?" she whispered to herself, brow knitting together in confusion. First off, why was Chat Noir watching her sleep? Second, why the hell was he on her balcony in the middle of the night? Third.... WHY was he watching her sleep?! The two were caught in a staring match, neither of them breaking eye contact. Marinette felt her frustration and irritation building... He was just... Sitting there like a moron and staring at her. When her patience finally snapped she broke eye contact and pushed herself up, and as she grabbed her blanket she heard a thump on the roof that indicated that Chat Noir had probably fallen on his ass. Hoping it didn't wake her parents she unlocked and shoved open the glass door.

"Chat? What on earth are you doing here?" she snarled irritably, stepping out of the doorway to tower over the panic stricken cat. He was looking up over his shoulder at her from where he crouched on the ground, trapped under her gaze like a mouse under the eye of a snake. When he didn't reply, Marinette cleared her throat, "Chat Noir fancies himself a peeping tom, huh?" he flinched at her words, and her brow knitted together, "I bet Ladybug would absolutely love to hear---"

"I didn't mean it!" he blurted out, slapping a clawed hand over his mouth when his words echoed in the quiet of the night. Marinette was just glad she'd closed the door, or her parents definitely would have woken up by then. Chat Noir's leather cat ears were folded down anxiously, and she could see him thinking. She was tired, she'd had a rough day and had dealt with his insistent nonsense earlier. She was about to open her mouth to tell him off, but he rolled in her direction, raising his hands in surrender above his head, "Please, princess..." he began, and when she growled at the nickname he dubbed her with, he corrected himself "I-I mean, Marinette, I can explain. I can." she quirked a brow and tucked her blanket closer around herself.

This oughta be good.

"Oh really?" she asked, tipping her head to the side. She couldn't help but smirk at how he was literally quivering in her presence. Her, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, just a small, very average girl, and Chat Noir, a freaking superhero, was shaking in his little kitty boots. She almost thought she might have been wearing her suit. Almost. Quirking up her lip and shifting her weight so one of her hips jutted out in an attempt to mimic Alya-level sass, she stared down at the cat boy, who was gaping like a fish, "Well? What say you, kitty cat? You best be quick or there will be consequences."

"I-I-I was doing... Uh... Nightwatch! I was on nightwatch!" he blabbered out, and Marinette suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Chat Noir was a shitty liar, and that was coming from her, "Yeah! And I thought to myself, hey, I wonder how Marinette is doing? It must have been so scary dealing with those big scary cleaning products earlier! And then I thought, hey, why not just pop by and make sure she's alright?" he laughed, shrugging his shoulders up awkwardly, "But the lights were off, so I just popped up here....And then the next thing I knew I was just looking into your window to make sure you were okay!"

"So you admit that you were watching me sleep."

"What? No! No I was just---"

"Creeping me. Funny, I never thought of Chat Noir to be the stalking type."

"I-I'm not..."

Marinette had to admit, having her chaton flustered in front of her like this was a lot of fun. A lot more fun then it ought to be. Still, this little game was beginning to bore her, and she was far, far too tired to keep this up. Pushing some of her loose hair behind her ear, she gave a sigh, "Well if you weren't being a creep, why don't you tell me the REAL reason you were peeking into my window then, hm?" he faltered and his mouth twisted up. He looked guilty, like a kid who'd been caught taking things he shouldn't have. With a sigh Marinette crouched down to Chat Noir's level, her blanket tucking closer up to her face, "I won't be mad."

"...Promise?" this conversation was starting to sound very familiar.

"Promise."

Chat Noir heaved a sigh and bit at his lower lip, and Marinette stared with tired eyes, waiting patiently, "A...A friend mentioned that you'd...Uh...." he shifted so he sat cross legged, and Marinette dropped to her bum as well, never dropping her eyes from the cat's face, "Someone told me you'd had your heart broken." Marinette froze up.

Hold the phone.

First of all...

"Who told you that?" she hissed, the sound coming out angrier than intended. The boy floundered, and Marinette bit her lip, "Look, I'm not... I'm not mad. Just tell me who this... Friend is." only Alya knew. Unless Alya had told someone and everyone knew and therefore Chat Noir knew, then it would only make sense that Chat Noir had gotten this info from the red head. Even Marinette's tired brain could put simple things like this together, "Please." she added after a silent pause, leaning forwards to peer deeper into Chat Noir's own eyes. Yes she was in his personal bubble, but she'd been kinda kissing him the night before (although he didn't know that, minor details), so she could honestly care less.

The cat was silent, trying to avert his eyes. Trying to think of a lie, Marinette couldn't help but notice, as he faltered in his info drop. When he realised she could see right through him though he froze up. Marinette's eye narrowed, daring him to tell her anything that wasn't the truth.

"Chat Noir."

"Adrien Agreste told me." he blurted out, and her eyes widened. She was temporarily stunned, but then again.... That almost made the same amount of sense as hearing it from Alya. Marinette had known, of course, that Alya was going to confront Adrien when she wasn't around whether Marinette had wanted her to or not (Marinette knew she was only trying to do the best thing for her, after all. She was going to have to have words with her bestie though), she was just surprised that she had pounced on the boy literally the day after Marinette's breakdown.

"So, your... Friend..." she repeated carefully, "...Who is Adrien Agreste... who is someone you know PERSONALLY," Chat Noir swallowed, "Told you that I'd had my heart broken. By Adrien Agreste." Chat Noir gave a nod, and Marinette stared at him harder, "And so you, someone I don't even know behind the mask, decided to come and check up on me to make sure I was okay?"

"I couldn't leave a friend alone and broken hearted, could I?"

Marinette had no words.

It was sweet, it was a little weird, it was borderline creepy, it was touching. It was all of the above and so much more. Chat Noir seriously had a heart of gold. Marinette heaved a sigh, ruffling a hand through her loose hair, "Chat..." she began, and he tensed up. She couldn't help but breathe a small chuckle, "That's really sweet of you. It is. Thank you." he hadn't meant anything bad by it, he was Chat Noir after all. She was pretty sure that besides the horrid puns and the teasing flirting that the cat didn't have a single bad bone in his body, "You really shouldn't be stalking around in the middle of the night, though."

"I'm sorry. I was just worried, princess." he mumbled back. Marinette smiled and reached out, giving the boy's hair a ruffle but paused when the boy stared up at her with wide eyes. Shoot. She forgot she wasn't Ladybug at the moment. Marinette yanked her hand away, but it was caught in a leather gloved hand, and both the figures froze up.

"Chat--"

"W-where did these come from?" Chat Noir stuttered out, and Marinette paled under the glow of the moon. She knew exactly what 'these' he was referring to. When she failed to reply right away his stare became intense and hard. She guessed it was her turn to be in trouble then.

"I...." Marinette's tongue was heavy in her mouth, and the more Chat Noir stared, the more the memories of the couple nights prior came to the surface of her mind. The languid licks, the dragging teeth, the rumbling purr, her shuddering gasps, the surprising amount of pleasure she'd received from the cat boy's mouth... She was staring at his mouth now as well, and it was moving. The movements of his mouth were soft and subtle. Had they been that subtle that night? Or had they been more desperate when they were flush against the fabric of her suit?

"--rth to Marinette, come in Marinette..." Marinette blinked, and when she refocused she realised she had completely zoned out in her own thoughts. Marinette flushed deeply and yanked at her wrist, but Chat Noir still didn't let go. "Please Princess," he murmured, and Marinette bit her lower lip, "Did someone force this on you? Did you... Were you...." Marinette blinked a few times as the boy trailed off, and then it hit her.

He didn't know that she was Ladybug.

He was looking at these marks not knowing he was the one who made them.

He thought that she'd been assaulted.

"No! No, it was an accident!" she gasped out, and his stare hardened. As much as that was the truth, she probably should have chosen better words, "It was just, uh.... Things were a little hectic and uh..." Marinette was trying to think as quick as she could, but it felt like her brain was made of lead. Thanks for nothing, brain. "It wasn't like he, uh..."

"...Do you know the person who did this, then?" Chat Noir asked, grip tightening on her wrist. Marinette bit her lip.

"...You could say that, yeah." it was only the person who was sitting DIRECTLY in front of her, giving her the hardest stare down he could muster after all.

"Who was it, princess?"

"I-it's honestly not a big deal! It's fi--"

"Marinette."

Marinette winced at how serious her own name sounded slipping out of the cat boy's lips. He was supposed to be the happy-go-lucky jovial one, the one who made constant stupid puns, the one who always lightened up situations by being a literal ball of freaking sunshine. He wasn't allowed to say her name like that. Those emerald green eyes were boring into her own, and a shudder trembled through her body. She couldn't exactly tell him he was the one who'd made the marks. She wasn't ready for him to know that she was Ladybug, she wasn't ready for anything. Something had to be said, though. Something had to be done, or this boy would not leave her alone.

"I wanted to try kink play!" she gasped out.

There was a long pause.

"....What?"

Shit. 

Now she'd done it.

"I, uh, well you know," she began, feeling the heat burn her ears in the chilled night as Chat Noir stared, his mouth hanging wide, "I'm at a, uh, a stage of my life where, ehm," she laughed nervously through frantic thoughts, "I want to....I want to try things out! S-S-Sexual things..." the word 'sexual' was literally the hardest thing she'd ever managed out of her mouth. Chat Noir was looking just as beet red as her, and although Marinette knew she could have stopped there, she literally could not stop her tongue. "Bite marks REALLY turn me on." Marinette needed to find a wall so she could smash her face against it a good couple hundred times. Chat Noir was stunned, and Marinette felt like she was going to die from embarrassment then and there.

"Uh..."

"Yeah! Haha, crazy right?" she laughed out, rubbing the back of her head with her free hand, "Who'd have thought I'd get so excited from you biting me?" Chat Noir made a choking noise, and so did Marinette after her slip up. 

Shit.

"You?"

Shit shit shit.

"I MEAN! I mean uh..." had she died yet? She was pretty sure she'd died. There's no way she was still alive while being this embarrassed, "He was dressed up like you!" Marinette, "The guy." Marinette, please, "Who did the biting." Marinette, STOP. Chat Noir's grip had gone slack and Marinette could not control herself as she covered her face with both hands, moving so fast she slapped herself. She'd just confessed to Chat Noir EVERYTHING. He was going to know she was Ladybug, he had to have figured it out. He couldn't be that oblivious. This was the end of her secret identity. No one was this blind. No one.

"...Y-you..." here it comes...

"Do you...Get turned on by...me?"

No one except Chat Noir, apparently.

Marinette's hands slipped down her face, and it was her time for her jaw to go slack. Chat Noir was still red, but he was looking... Shy? He hadn't figured it out? She'd literally pretty much just told him that he was the one who left the marks, and he honestly didn't put two and two together? And then he was smiling bashfully, tucking his chin to his chest and shyly fiddling with a lock of hair next to his face, averting his eyes like some blushing school girl. Marinette was gawking at him.

He had to be joking.

"Marinette, I... I didn't realise..."

Chat Noir you little shit.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me."

She could have screamed. She had a cover though, that by some miraculous chance, Chat Noir had believed her. Now, though... Marinette laughed out another awkward laugh, averting her eyes as far as she could from the cat, "Well what can I say? I love boys in black!" she squeaked out, and he chuckled back awkwardly in response. After the laughter died out they both sat there in silence, before Chat Noir pushed himself up to standing, dusting his leather legs off.

"Well uh, since I know you're not hurting too bad, I guess I will take my leave. I'm sure you want to rest." he managed out. Neither of them could make eye contact. Marinette was wishing for a swift and painless death. As he turned to leave, Marinette tucked her blankets up around her face and stood, making her way back to the window door to her room. Just as she was cracking it open and slipping inside, she heard Chat Noir chuckle, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, "Try not to keep yourself up all night thinking about me, okay princess?" he grinned out with a wink, and then he was off.

When Marinette saw him next, she was definitely going to murder him.

 

\---

 

The next day went by rather uneventfully. She got up like every other day, running late of course, and didn’t leave the house until she only had 10 minutes to spare. Curse that bloody devil cat and his obsession with Tikki. She made it just in time for the bell to go off, much to her relief, and sat through the first few classes rather unfazed. Things that day were… Awkward to say the least. Adrien would go through bouts of staring at her, attempting (and failing) to ignore her presence, staring at her wrists (she couldn’t help but wonder, if Chat and Adrien were so close, if he’d heard about her ‘marks’), and actively avoiding her at every possible opportunity.

Things with Alya hadn’t really gone any better.

First off, the girl was absolutely refusing to acknowledge Adrien’s presence, which probably wasn’t helping with the situation between him and Marinette. Then when lunch came around and Marinette had to stop and have a ‘chat’ with her friend, the girl freaked out and started apologizing and crying. Apparently she’d had a rough time and had felt excessively guilty after exploding at Adrien. Marinette forgave her, of course, and had to continue forgiving her the entire afternoon because Alya CONTINUOUSLY kept apologizing to her.

The only normal part of Marinette’s school day had been Nino, who had no idea why everyone was so weird around one another, and stuck relatively close to Marinette because he didn’t want to ‘get all up in that drama, whatever it was’. Marinette was glad to have at least one friend who was acting normal, and spent most of the day with the DJ wannabe, who was, in all honesty, the highlight of her day.

That night she’d gotten home, done all of her homework, gave Tikki a bath (the poor thing smelt like cat breath), and had given Chat Noir a quick call saying she just didn’t have enough energy to do patrol that night. When he said he was alright doing it on his own that night(she was very thankful for that), she very happily tucked herself into bed early, and had passed out the minute her head had hit the pillow.

 

\---

 

When Marinette woke up the next morning she felt better then she had the entire week. Yes her heart was still hurting, yes she was still one giant bruise, but it was the first night she'd slept without stressing over certain blond haired boys... The whole two of them that were currently consuming her life. Getting ready for her day went by relatively quickly, and soon she was packing up her bag to get headed out.

"Are you going to finish your chemistry project with Adrien today? It's due soon," Tikki asked, fluttering alongside Marinette's head as the girl went about readying herself.

"I guess we have to. We don't really have many days to get it done, and I'm sure he's going to be busy this weekend." Marinette sighed. She would have been much happier to not have to see the young Agreste boy, but they really REALLY needed to get that work done. Unlike Adrien, Marinette was not getting all A's in that class, and she really needed this mark to boost her grades. "Besides, the less time I spend with him, the better right now. I still can't believe he knows that I like him." heartbreak didn't just fix itself over night, after all.

"Well at least you have Chat Noir, right?" Tikki chirped up, and Marinette just smiled and giggled.

"True, although he isn't out of the hot seat for showing up uninvited at my window yet." she was still just really glad that her chaton was a clueless wonder, "Now he thinks Marinette is a weird obsessed fan of his with a kink for teeth. If he shows up at my window again I'm gonna have to toss him off the roof."

"It could always be worse, Marinette!" Tikki snickered. Marinette rolled her eyes. When the girl had woken up the little kwami to tell her about the run in with a certain kitty she'd expected words of comfort or advice on how to remedy the situation. The last thing she'd been expecting was for the little bug to keel over with laughter, not being able to get over the situation Marinette had wrangled herself into. Marinette finished grabbing her assorted items for the day, and after carefully tucking Tikki away from cat Chat's prying eyes, was off to school.

Except she wasn't.

Marinette hadn't even stepped through the bakery door when she was met with the sickening crunch of metal colliding together. Marinette's eyes widened as car after car on the road spun out of control, and she had to dart out of the way to avoid being struck by a police car that spun out of control, narrowly missing the petite girl and ramming into a street lamp posted just outside the bakery's front door. Marinette took no time to focus in on the cause of all the ruckus; a man dressed head to toe as a traffic light was shooting lasers from his hands, and every vehicle hit with those beams spun wildly out of control. Chaos everywhere, Marinette knew school would just have to wait. The midnight haired girl darted into a back alley behind her house, taking cover behind a dumpster as she unclasped her purse. Tikki was peering up at her, looking a little nervous. Marinette quirked a brow.

"Marinette, I haven't had a chance to eat yet," the little kwami squeaked out. Marinette winced. Right. She was going to feed Tikki once they'd gotten to class, "But I will keep up our transformation as long as I can."

"I'll make sure to finish this quick, then." Mari answered, and Tikki nodded with wide eyes, "Alright Tikki, Transform me!"

In a flash of pink Ladybug was darting back out into the street, but tsked to herself when she found the akuma had dissapeared. Hand at her yo-yo, Ladybug began charging down the road. All she had to do was follow the chaos and she'd find the akuma; he couldn't have possibly gotten far.

Lo and behold he was only two blocks down the road, cackling as he spun a school bus across the road. The bus, filled with tiny children no older than Manon, riled out of control and was heading right for a pair of eldery women who were standing stunned on the roadside. Ladybug jumped into action; yo-yo flying she crossed the distance between herself and the grannies in seconds, turning to barricade them with her body. She couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut in anticipation for the pain that was going to wrack her body next.

Except it didn't.

A cheering shout from above indicated to her that Chat Noir had arrived on the scene, and she opened her eyes just in time to watch him plummet down from a rooftop in front of her, the cat extending his baton to clip the bus' front in one corner and push it off course. The bus, rather then crashing into the grannies, was given enough room to come to a jerking halt. Ladybug gave a sigh as the muffled cheers of children came from the bus, and Chat Noir turned to her with a grin.

"Didn't want to miss your bus, My Lady?" Ladybug rolled his eyes at his cheeky grin, and she punched the cat in the arm, the boy chuckling and rubbing his shoulder.

"Morning to you too, Chat." she sneered out, smiling at the way the boy simply glowed around her.

"What kind of akuma have you found for us to play with this morning, Bugaboo?" he asked, hopping back to stand next to her, staff at the ready.

"Looks like a man dressed like a traffic light..." she muttered, peering around. He was gone, again, and Ladybug puffed some hair from her face, "Aaaaand it looks like I've lost him again. Great." she didn't have time for this, not when Tikki was hungry and she had to make it to class on time still. Ladybug sighed, before jerking her head to the side, indicating for Chat Noir to follow. As she took off with her kitty at her heels, Ladybug narrowed her eyes to search for the yellow clad akuma, "I'm willing to bet he got transformed because he REALLY hated traffic." Hawkmoth must have been getting desperate. Or lazy. Or both.

Ladybug turned a street corner and gave a yelp as Chat yanked her from around the waist, pulling her back against his chest. She was going to tell him off and say it wasn't the time for his antics when a taxi spun through the place she'd been previously standing in. "Always be cautious when turning blind corners." he grinned out, and she rolled her eyes again, before her chaton placed a kiss on her nose and darted out ahead of her. She turned the corner behind him, and there he was; the yellow traffic light man.

"I am GaucheAuFureur!" he called out from where he stood, "And I will be taking those trinkets of yours, Ladybug and Chat Noir!" pointing a yellow clad finger in their direction, he shot a laser that struck a passing scooter, and the vehicle swerved off course, throwing it's driver and flying towards the dynamic duo.

"Dodge!" Ladybug called, tucking and rolling out of the way and yo-yoing her way up to higher ground. She wasn't worried about Chat; she knew he could handle himself. Ladybug peered down as Chat Noir took GaucheAuFureur head on, and leapt down to dart behind the two as they sparred it out. With Chat doing his thing, she spun her yo-yo and caught Gauche around the shoulders, and with him pinned Chat could easily nail the akumatized victim over the head with his staff. While stunned, Ladybug took no time yanking him off of his feet.

"Where's the akuma?" she asked, pinning the wriggling man with a heel. He wasn't wearing anything that stood out, besides the fact that he was BRIGHT YELLOW with big blinking lights all over his chest.

"There's nothing here, my Lady." Chat replied, prodding the man with his staff, "Maybe it isn't something on him?" Ladybug huffed irritably. She didn't have time for this.

“What could it be, then?” Just as she asked this, her miraculous gave a beep, and both heroes froze up. Chat’s head shot up to look at her, and she paled.

“Already, My lady? You weren’t off playing without me, were you?” Marinette gave him a look, and Chat shrugged back and smiled.

“I haven’t fed my kwami.”

“Well you do that, and I’ll keep an eye on our yellow friend here.” Chat Noir indicated at the wriggling man between them, and Ladybug nodded. Her miraculous beeped again, and she was off. She needed to find a place to stop and feed poor little Tikki, and then they needed to get that akuma over and done with. She had shit to do today that she couldn’t miss.

Ladybug found herself running towards the school, seeing as she was only a block or so away after all the running about, and slipped into the front doors quietly. She was already late so classes would be busy; she needn’t worry about running into any students at this time of day.

Ladybug darted to the locker room, skidding to a halt in front of her locker as her miraculous beeped frantically in her ears. After previous issues with Tikki being famished at inconvenient times, Marinette had begun keeping spare cookies in the locker in case of emergencies. She couldn’t very well just carry them around all the time. She felt her transformation drop as she yanked open her locker, and with a fatigued little Tikki in hand, Marinette began frantically scrounging around in her locker for the spare cookie box.

The sound of books clattering to the ground had the girl jumping out of her skin, and she froze in place.

“M-M-Marinette?!”

She was pretty sure her heart had just stopped.

“You’re L-Ladybug?!”

She’d been caught. She’d been in a rush and she’d been caught.

It was all over.

Heart pounding up in her throat, Marinette, very slowly, peered around her locker door, and paled when she found none other than Nino standing there, his books that he’d been carrying in a pile at his feet and his mouth wide in stunned silence. Marinette’s wide eyes met his own shocked ones, and as his trembling lips shifted to say something more she moved at a speed she didn’t know she possessed, clapping her hand over his mouth.

“Don’t. Say. A. Word.” her words came out as shakey as she felt, and the stunned boy nodded his head mutely. Looking around to make sure there weren’t any OTHER spectators, Marinette yanked Nino around the corner, her heart running a mile a minute. When she finally concluded that they were alone, she carefully removed her hand.

“...How much did you see, Nino.”

Nino swallowed at Marinette’s low tone.

“I-I didn’t mean to see, bra, honest!”

“How. Much. Did. You. See.”

“Y-you came in as Ladybug and transformed in front of your locker…”

Marinette cursed under her breath. He’d been there the whole freaking time and she hadn’t noticed him at all. She’d been careless and in a rush. Nino was still staring at her, but it seemed the shock was fading, and very quickly shifting to awe.

“Marinette...”

“Nino you can’t tell any---”

“I can’t believe you’re Ladybug! Like, dude! That is seriously SO COOL!” Marinette shushed him, but the boy was on an excitement high, “Like, you! Marinette! The whole time? Dude it makes SO MUCH sense! I can’t believe no one noticed man!” He was laughing, and Marinette winced.

“Nino, keep it down!”

“You gotta tell Alya! No, first, dude, DUDE! You GOTTA tell Adrien! He’s got the HOTS for you, man! Like, you, Ladybug you! He’s gonna flip---”

“You can’t tell anyone! No one can know, Ni---wait, Adrien digs Ladybug?” Marinette paused to contemplate this, but shook her head furiously, pigtails flying. No no, Marinette, you must resist temptations, “No, Nino. Listen, please.” The girl grabbed her grinning friend by the shoulders, giving him a pleading look, “Please, you can’t tell anyone about this, okay? It’s… It would be dangerous if anyone knew. It’s already bad that you know. Please. You can’t say anything.” Nino stared at her quietly for a moment, before his regular carefree grin spread across his face.

“Sure yeah, okay Mari.”

Marinette blinked.

“What?”

“You don’t want me to tell anyone? That’s cool, I can respect that. Gotta protect your super identity and stuff, right?” Nino shrugged, smiling in such a carefree way that Marinette was temporarily flabbergasted.

“You mean… You won’t tell anyone? At all? You’re okay with that?”

Nino quirked a brow, “Well yeah. We’re friends. Don’t worry fam, I got your back.” Marinette felt like tearing up a little. Seriously, her luck was definitely on her side today.

“Nino, you’re seriously a god send! Thank you!” She gasped, throwing her arms around the boy’s neck and squeezing him tight. He simply laughed in his laid back Nino way, patting her back gently.

“Marinette? I’ve eaten, we can go!” Tikki came peeping out from Marinette’s locker, and Nino’s face lit up again. Marinette pulled away as Tikki fluttered over to her, peering up at Nino shyly.

“DUDE WHAT’S THAT?” Marinette had to shush her friend, but couldn’t control the giggle that escaped her lips.

“She’s what makes me Ladybug.” Tikki gave Nino a little wave, before turning to Marinette again. Marinette nodded, and stepped away from the bespectacled boy, who was smiling in awe watching the two. “We gotta go fight an akuma, but I’ll be back,” the midnight girl smiled at the boy, who grinned back.

“I’ll tell the teacher you’re feeling sick in the bathroom.”

“Seriously, thanks Nino. I can’t even… Thanks. I owe you like, a thousand pastries.” Nino gave her a thumbs up and a laugh, and Marinette turned to Tikki once more, “Alright Tikki, let’s go. Transform Me!” Another flash of pink and Ladybug was darting off and back into the streets, a beaming Nino left in her wake.

She was seriously going to stuff that boy silly with baked goods until he exploded. He deserved it.

 

\---

 

Ladybug darted back to where she had left Chat Noir, only to find both him and Gauche gone. Cursing under her breath, she yanked up her yo-yo, ringing up Chat. He didn’t reply. Ladybug growled, slapping her yo-yo to her hip, before darting off. How long had it been, 15-20 minutes? Running into Nino had seriously thrown off her groove. The girl was running, searching frantically down every road and alley, before something caught her eye and she skidded to a halt.

A pile of about fifteen cars stacked high stood before her. At the bottom of that pile?

Chat Noir, of course.

The boy was frantically kicking at the car door that he was trapped in, the cars creaking and groaning above him. Ladybug’s eyes darted from the trapped cat to the laughing akuma standing on top of the pile.

“Glad you could join us, Ladybug! Now if you would ever so kindly hand over your Miraculous, I might let your kitty friend live!” Gauche was raising one of his hands, and Ladybug glanced up to see a helicopter fluttering above the wreckage. The girl called upon Lucky Charm as the walking traffic light shot one of his lasers, the helicopter faltering in the air and falling fast towards them.

“GaucheAuFureur,” Ladybug hissed, now feeling full of energy and quite cocky, “You’ve picked a fight with the wrong bug.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, so much for getting two chapters out this week.
> 
> So sorry for the wait, guys, and thanks for your patience! Wedding stuff is a lot crazier then I thought x_x I pushed this chapter out as fast as I could, I hope it's alright! Nino is bae, Adrien is clueless, and Marinette is a big weenie.
> 
> Thanks a whole bundle to kali_asleep! She's the best! Go read her stuff, seriously! You won't regret it :>
> 
> I'll get the next chapter out asap! Love you all!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry for cancelling on you last night," she murmured, and he hummed in response, hand finding hers and holding her against his face as he nuzzled her red clad fingertips, "Maybe we can... Play a little later?"

Adrien couldn't stop thinking about Marinette.

Since that night he'd 'visited' on her balcony, she was all that was in his thoughts all day long. She liked him, Adrien Agreste. She got hot and bothered by him, Chat Noir. It seemed like every part of Marinette, even the ones he didn't know about, unintentionally revolved around him, and it made him feel.... Special. Yes, a lot of people liked the persona built for Adrien, or they liked his looks or his money or his last name... People didn't just like 'Chat Noir', the real Adrien. Chat Noir, to a lot of people, was just Ladybug's sidekick; they could take him or leave him. Marinette though.... She had confessed some veeeerrrryyy interesting things to him, and he'd been genuinely flattered. Surprised first, yes, but definitely flattered.

So even though he said he'd leave her alone the following day, he couldn't stop his eyes from following her around nearly everywhere she went. Marinette stood up from her desk? Adrien was watching. Marinette walked to the bathroom? Adrien was leering after her. Marinette was eating lunch? Adrien was viewing from afar. He was trying hard not to stare, he honestly was... It was just hard when he'd seen a part of her that probably wasn't meant for public eyes. And now he was curious.

When had she started looking at Chat Noir like that?

How long had she been meeting whoever it was who dressed up like him for her personal pleasure?

Why did she enjoy getting bitten so much?

...What would she do if she found out Adrien, the boy who'd broke her heart, and Chat Noir, the boy who apparently riled her up, were the same person?

.....

Would she be upset if Chat Noir decided to visit again?

Adrien knew he shouldn't have even been thinking that last curious thought. Ladybug had finally, FINALLY begun returning his affections. They'd kissed plenty of times, and his heart was on a high. Who knew that cat drugs would be the key to his lady's heart? He'd been so blissfully happy the past few nights... Yet his mind continued to wander, and it kept insisting on asking questions about a girl who was not gallivanting around in a magical red spandex suit. His heart pained with guilt, but the guilt was outweighed by a streak of narcissism that had his ego nearly bursting out of his chest. One single person did that to him.

One person who, despite her timid and cute appearance, had very interesting tastes.

The boy's wandering eyes during school hadn't gone unnoticed, of course. Nino had questioned him about why he'd been so skittish and weird all day, and had ditched his company for Marinette's. Alya, while she wasn't talking to him because she was still very upset with the boy (understandably), would shoot him dirty glares whenever he'd been staring too long. Even Marinette noticed, and that was probably the biggest reason he kept reeling himself back in. She didn't know the two boys had a connection. She wouldn't understand why Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of her, not even if he tried to explain it. At least, he didn't think she would. The only thing that helped at all to keep his mind off the pretty girl that sat behind him was that he'd be seeing Ladybug for patrol tonight. He'd be seeing her, and touching her, and kissing her, and doing all those things he'd waited so long to do. He just had to wait until evening, and everything would be back to normal.

...

Naturally, Ladybug cancelled on him.

When he'd gotten the word from Ladybug that night that she was calling off patrol, he was more then just bummed out (he'd wanted to kiss her silly under the moonlight), but at the same time... He knew he could sate his need to see Marinette. After all, if he was doing that, then he'd still technically be 'patrolling'. Would Ladybug be upset had he just dropped by? Marinette was a close friend of hers, after all. He'd just... Pop by. Make sure she was alright, yeah.

Chat Noir had made no time making it to Marinette's balcony; this time he would be sneakier. The cat boy slinked over to the window trap door, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when Marinette was, as he'd found her last time, fast asleep. 

He sat for a while watching her.

He wasn't sure how long he was there, but as the cold started to burn his ears and the tip of his nose, he figured he'd been there long enough to pass the border between curious and creepy by a long shot. Once he'd finally realised that he'd probably been watching her sleep for a long time, that guilt from earlier came creeping up into his throat again. Guilt for two very different reasons.

1\. He'd literally been chastised the night before for checking up on her. He could get them both in serious trouble if anyone found him out on Marinette's balcony.

2\. His heart belonged to Ladybug, entirely. He shouldn't have been there at all, but his cat like curiousity got the best of him.

With a heavy sigh and a grimace, the cat cast one last glance over in Marinette's direction, and then he was bounding off. Curiousity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought it back. That's how the saying went, right? Yet Chat Noir was far from satisfied. He had so much more he wanted to know, and just looking at a sleeping classmate's face was not enough to surpress those curious urges he simply could not control. He'd have to deal with this for a short time longer, so it seemed. With a heavy heart, Chat gave a sigh.

He was really missing his lady tonight.

 

\---

 

Chat Noir couldn't quite recall how he'd ended up trapped in an upside down car, at the bottom of a pile of other cars, underneath the supervillain he'd been 'keeping an eye on' for his Lady while she recharged her kwami. He remembered GaucheAuFureur taking him by surprise and shooting a taxi at him. He vaguely recalled memories of chasing Gauche into a more open street way. Some part of his memory was informing him he'd seen the glowing purple steering wheel.

And then he was suddenly trapped in a literal pile up, kicking angrily at the door with the broken akumatized steering wheel in hand. Every kick caused the cars above him to creak and groan, and he could feel the open space in the vehicle becoming more and more condensed with every sharp push of his boot. He needed to get the steering wheel to his lady; even if he broke it and freed the evil butterfly from within, it would do nothing to fix the situation they were in; he'd learned that the first day he'd slipped into his magical purrsona.

A blur of read from across the street caught his eye, and there she was: his knight in shining armour. Now was the time to kick it into gear. Chat Noir braced a hand against the car door behind his head, and gave the door across from him the hardest boot he could. The door burst loose, and as the car began to buckle under the weight of all the cars above him, he shoved hard against the door he was pushed against, tossing himself from the car. Chat Noir rolled himself to crouching position, looking back up to where Ladybug had been standing mere moments before.

She was no longer there.

It took no time for Chat's cat eyes to focus in on the girl, who was flying over hand with yo-yo in tow, heading straight for GaucheAuFureur. And heading straight for Ladybug? A helicopter. That didn't count as traffic, damnit! "Cheater," Chat huffed under his breath, pushing off the ground to dart up the teetering car pile he'd just escaped. With a steering wheel clasped in one hand, Chat Noir readied his staff in the other, extending it to catapault himself into the air, his steel toed boots thumping heavily against the helicopter's side. The boy shoved the steering wheel in between his teeth, gripping it tight. His first priority was to be sure that Ladybug wouldn't get squished by this blasted thing. Then they could purify the akuma.

Chat Noir was looking around frantically as he gripped tightly onto the falling vehicle. What to do, what to do.... On the building above GaucheAuFureur and Ladybug there was a large advertisement sign. Ironically, with his alter ego's face on it. Chat Noir grinned into the steering wheel clamped between his canines; perfect. The boy pushed himself off the helicopter, and summoned Cataclysm in one clawed hand. The tingling sensation that warmed his palm was something he didn't think he'd ever grow completely accustomed to, but it was something comforting, in a strange way. Made him feel useful.

Chat dragged his palm along the upper bindings that kept the ad attached to the building side. As they began to rust and crumble, Chat caught the corner of the tumbling sign and threw himself underneath. The lower bindings caught the falling sign with a heavy clang, and Chat Noir extended his staff once more to add a little extra support to the sign as the helicopter crashed, tearing across the fallen ad with sparks and little metal shards flinting everywhere. Chat waited for the copter to stop, before carefully tucking away his staff. The people in the helicopter would be fine; right now he needed to get to Ladybug.

The cat boy's head darted around until he spotted her again. He was really glad she was dressed so brightly, or his life would have been made a lot more difficult. She and the akumatized victim had moved their way down the teetering car pile, and were currently dodging eachother's fists down on the street. Gauche was completely useless without passing vehicles. Chat couldn't help but snicker, before he yanked the steering wheel out from beneath his teeth. Was his mouth going to be aching later? Yes, yes it was.

"My Lady!" he called, catching her eye as he waved the wheel above his head, "How about we steer ourselves out of all this nonsense?" he could see her rolling her eyes from all the way up here, and chuckled, before throwing the wheel like a Frisbee in his lady's direction. Yo-yo's were being flung, and very quickly the steering wheel was grasped tightly in red fingertips. Chat landed on the pavement gracefully, and as he looked up, Ladybug was snapping the steering wheel over her knee, a little black butterfly fluttering out as she did so. She took no time purifying it, and in the blink of an eye, Ladybug's magic was swirling all around them, fixing the car pile, landing the helicopter safely on the roadside, tidying up the mess he made of the ad (that probably could have stayed and Chat wouldn't have cared).

A tiny red fist turning in his direction brought back his focus, and he gave his lady a lopsided grin as he bumped his fist against hers, "You really took the wheel in that situation there, my Lady." he teased, and she gave him 'the look'. It was one of his favourites.

"Do you ever not have a crappy pun?"

"Not usually, no." Ladybug rolled her eyes again, and Chat Noir grinned even wider, "You know you love my puns, bug." she averted her eyes and pouted, and Chat's eyes crinkled up into little rainbows. The beeping of his miraculous brought him back into focus. Ladybug too, so it seemed.

"...We gotta go." she murmured, finally dropping her fist from his own. Chat sighed, but smiled a little at the girl. She was reaching up then, and he froze up as her palm brushed the side of his face. He wasn't frozen for long though, and eased into the curl of her fingers with a pleased sigh, eyes fluttering shut. Just a simple touch and he melted, "I'm sorry for cancelling on you last night," she murmured, and he hummed in response, hand finding hers and holding her against his face as he nuzzled her red clad fingertips, "Maybe we can... Play a little later?"

The word play had his fake ears tweaking in interest.

"...What kind of playing are you thinking, My Lady?" he asked softly in response, green eyes sliding open to catch her brilliant sapphire orbs. His heart gave a twinge of guilt; was it bad that the word 'play' had his mind flashing to Marinette? Ladybug's blushing face brought his attention back, and he couldn't help the cheshire grin that spread across his lips, "Oh? Oohhhh???" she tried to yank her hand away, and he grinned wider, "Were you thinking dirty thoughts just now, bugaboo?"

"I-I was not!" she stammered out, and he snickered. She totally was. "We gotta go, Chat. Our Miraculouses don't have much time, and school has already started." right. School. That place he went to learn about things. Chat Noir heaved a sigh, he loved going to school, but loved teasing his Lady even more. It was the only time he would say no to learning.

"Fiiiine." he whined, releasing her hand from his face, but not before kissing her knuckles, "I do expect to hear from you sometime tonight, though. Promise?" she didn't respond verbally, just nodded. Before he could pester her for an actual answer, she was gone, and he was watching after her as she darted out of sight. "It's a date, then..." he murmured when she was finally out of viewing range. He then turned and darted off to school, where he was ready to be surrounded by friends who would ignore him the rest of the day.

 

\---

 

Adrien darted down the hall, chest heaving as he pushed open the door to class, "I'm sorry I'm late!" he gasped, flushing at the leer he received from his prof, "The photo shoot this morning took longer than anticipated." he was ignored, so the teacher had obviously accepted his fib. The boy sighed, and was going to sit in his usual seat... Except it was occupied. Adrien was temporarily stunned as none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng was sitting where he always sat, leaned towards Nino. His arrival had obviously interrupted their banter, whatever it was.

Marinette smiled at him shyly, but was quickly distracted by Nino, who was whispering something in her ear. She snickered and blushed, and Adrien's heart skipped a beat. When he realised that he'd been standing in the doorway too long, he moved in to take Marinette's seat... And paused as his eyes met that of the tiger. Alya leered, but tipped her head to indicate the boy should sit, mouth pursed into a fine line. Adrien smiled shyly at her, before carefully settling in next to her. He hadn't even pulled out his papers when she was on him.

"What the hell is THAT?" Alya whispered into the blond's ear, and he jumped at her sudden proximity, looking over at her with surprise.

"W-what?" he asked back. Were they suddenly on speaking terms again? Girls were confusing.

"That!" Alya whispered again, nodding in Nino and Marinette's direction. Adrien gave them a look over, before shrugging. Alya frowned, and grabbed Adrien by the shirt collar, yanking him closer to whisper better. "Marinette showed up late after Nino told the teach that she was sick. And then he flagged her down before she could sit with me," she sounded angry. Jealous, perhaps? Or maybe just overly curious, "And they've been whispering ALL class." Adrien peered down at his two friends, who seemed lost in their own little world, exchanging hushed words and curious glances.

That definitely wasn't something you saw everyday.

Nino had told Adrien countless times about how he and Marinette had practically grown up together; they'd been in pretty much all of the same classes since grade school. He'd told Adrien stories about how he used to go to Marinette's birthday parties, and how Mari's parents always treated him like the son they never had. He told Adrien all of this, yes, but the blond had never seen the two interact so closely with each other. Not since he'd started school, anyways. This was odd behaviour, even for two weirdos like his friends.

"...Has this happened before?" he asked back, exchanging a look with Alya, which clearly said 'no'. He was glad they were talking again, but the circumstances were... Curious, to say the least, "They did hang out yesterday for a bit."

"Yeah, a bit. They weren't attached by the hip though." Alya shot back, eyes turning back to their friends in wide curiousity, "Nino saw Marinette sometime when class started, and now they're like this. It's so weird." Alya couldn't seem to wrap her head around it; neither could Adrien in all honesty. Marinette peered back at the two of them, and they leapt away from each other, averting eye contact. When Marinette was no longer staring in his peripheral, he turned back to look at Alya. She was already leaning in again, still eager to chat. Adrien sighed inwardly. This week just wasn't a good one for school, so it would seem. "What should we do about it?"

"What do you mean?" it was odd, but there was nothing bad about their behaviour. They were just buds, apparently catching up or... Something.

"Well this is a problem!" Alya shot back, giving Adrien an incredulous look. He quirked a brow at her. He saw literally nothing wrong with the picture before him.

"Why?"

"Because it is, okay?" Adrien figured at this point there was no reason in arguing with mama bear, who had turned back to stare at her friends. The bell for lunch rang, and Alya stood up briskly, "Hey, Marinette-"

"Dude, I LOVE that cafe! My treat!" Alya's mouth snapped shut as Nino dragged off her bestie, who shot Alya a smile over her shoulder, before going along with the DJ. There was silence following their quick departure, and when he finally got the courage to peer over at the redhead next to him, Adrien saw fire ignite in the girl's eyes.

"Uh.... Alya?"

"We're following them."

"Oh, but, uh...."

"We're. Following. Them."

The discussion was apparently over, and Alya's hand was wrapped tight around Adrien's forearm in a vice grip, dragging him out of class. He eventually managed to pry loose of Alya's death fingers, but followed along obediently nonetheless. She was on the prowl as she skulked the pair from afar, and Adrien was glad it wasn't him under those scrutinizing eyes this time. Marinette and Nino were chattering away, Marinette looking excited and Nino nodding with surprising enthusiasm. Adrien quirked his brow. He was definitely.... Curious. What could have changed in between the two so suddenly?

As they slipped into the cafe they were aiming for, Alya's hand found Adrien's shoulder, and with a yelp he was yanked down next to the windowsill. Alya peered up into the window, and Adrien, who was invested enough that he didn't want to miss out, peered up along with them. Nino and Marinette had sat at the far back of the cafe, and Marinette was looking around shiftily. Adrien snuck a glance over at Alya, whose eyes were narrowed. Poor Mari and Nino didn't even know they’d unleashed the beast.

"...She's motioning to something in her purse." Alya stated, matter of factly, and Adrien peered back. Lo and behold, Alya was correct; Marinette was holding her purse up to Nino, who was grinning from ear to ear, nodding his head and saying something to her. Marinette then glanced around again, and placed the purse on the table, open. Adrien's cat-like curiousity was kicking into overdrive. What was in the bag that could be so fascinating that Marinette and Nino had gone off to lunch to look at it? This is obviously what it was about, after all... Marinette and Nino kept looking to the bag and smiling at each other. The hand still clenching his shoulder squeezed, and Adrien flinched.

"Ow, Alya, seriously..."

"Marinette mentioned that there was a boy who liked her." Adrien's body froze.

"...What?"

"She mentioned that while she'd been crushing on you, that there was a boy who liked her." Alya gasped out, turning to stare intensely at Adrien, who faltered at how... Bizarre this all was. No way. Marinette and Nino?

"It can't be Nino, no way." Adrien shook his head, "Nino and Marinette are like siblings, Nino's told me before."

"Well now that YOU'RE obviously out of the picture," Adrien flinched at the harshness in Alya's tone, but the girl didn't seem to notice, "Marinette's heart is more open to things that she may not have thought about before. Think about it, Agreste," Adrien swallowed, "You broke her heart only a few days ago. I told her to focus on the things that she had. She started talking to Nino yesterday. They've known each other for a rather long time, but didn't seem to be particularly close, for whatever reason. NOW they're sitting together in a cafe, laughing and chatting like little lovebirds about something that WE weren't invited to."

"We weren't talking though, Alya. Besides, friends can have conversations in private."

"Yeah, but only LOVERS do it so secretly." Alya had a point. The two were being very discreet about everything, but they weren't moving to hold hands or lean closer or anything. Something was off about this. There was a puzzle piece missing here that he and Alya weren't getting. Adrien thought back on what Marinette had spealed to him the other night... Could Nino be the one who'd been dressing up as Chat Noir to play to Marinette's fantasies? Adrien thought about it, and decided that no, that would definitely be way, way too out of character for his best bud. Besides, Nino hated wearing black. What was it they were missing here?

"I think we should do some more research before jumping to conclusions." Adrien stated, and Alya quirked a brow. Apparently at some point during their lunch stalking, they'd become a pair of detectives. Alya went with it though, narrowing her eyes behind her black frames.

"I think we have enough evidence right here

"No, we're missing something. We're missing a crucial part of the story and we shouldn't jump to conclusions." Adrien looked back to his partner in crime, whose lips were quirked out as she looked at him silently. She was looking for something, what it was Adrien wasn't sure, but he recognized that look in her eye. Ladybug gave Chat Noir that look all the time; analyzing. Trying to get into his head. He averted his eyes, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest. What was with all these girls and their ability to look straight into his heart?

"...Adrien, do you....?" whatever Alya was going to say came to a halt, and the hand on his shoulder buried itself in his hair, shoving him down as Nino and Marinette passed, blissfully unaware of the pair that were stalking them. Alya held him there until they were out of sight, letting him go with a light shove. Adrien winced, rubbing his head gingerly. Alya was not a dainty girl, not in the least, "We'll get to the bottom of this." she sneered, "I need to know." she was about to get up to follow their friends, but paused as her stomach gurgled. For the first time in several days, Alya looked to Adrien sheepishly, pressing her hands over her tum.

"But first.... How about lunch?"

 

\---

 

Chat Noir wasn't sure why he'd agreed to it. His need to know what was going on was suffocating, yes, but he knew this was a super bad idea. Then again, he'd had bad ideas all week and just kept going with them.

Alya had sent him out that evening on a mission: Find out what was going on with Nino, and she'd figure out nonsense with Marinette.

Except Nino and Marinette had apparently made plans for that night some point during their lunch outing.

Together.

Alone.

And now Chat Noir was stalking up to Marinette's window pane, very careful not to make a sound as he landed on the balcony. How many times had he come seen her the past few days? Far too many times for it to be healthy, that was for sure. His tail swished about behind him as he dropped to all fours, balancing out his weight so the roof would (hopefully) creak less under his weight. For the upteenth time, Chat Noir peered down into Marinette's window, quirking his head to the side as he looked down into the well lit bedroom.

Marinette could be seen, talking and waving her arms around in an animated fashion. He couldn't see Nino, but he figured it was because the boy was hidden away somewhere out of sight under the loft bed. Chat Noir couldn't help but smile. It was nice seeing Marinette looking almost back to her old self. She was moving around sporadically, pausing every few minutes or so to laugh or to point at things. He wished he could be in there, sitting wherever Nino was, seeing her like this. So natural. So Marinette.

Instead he got to see her sadness through the eyes of Adrien, and her stubbornness through the eyes of Chat Noir.

She liked him though, right? She could be more open with Chat Noir, now that he knew that, right? Then again.... He really, really shouldn't be toying with the girl's heart like that. Not after the damage he'd done as Adrien. His heart was Ladybug's. He couldn't reject the same girl TWICE for the same person. That was... That was too cruel. Yet his heart continued to yearn, twisting Chat's emotions around in his gut. Since when had he decided to spend so much time looking at her? It felt like it had been a while, now that he thought about it. Wasn't he always watching the girl, searching for that ease she seemed to carry about herself when he wasn't present?

Marinette was climbing the stairs to her loft, and Chat Noir's heart lurched. Shit. The boy looked around frantically, before darting behind a ledge decorated with plants. The door was creaking open then, and Chat peered over as Marinette stepped up and out into the cold air. She gave a stretch, before peering back down into her room, snickering.

"Oh come on you big baby, it's not that cold out here." she giggled. Chat narrowed his eyes; liar, it was freezing. Then again, he'd been outside watching her for some unreasonable amount of time, she'd just gotten there. Nino's head popped up, and Chat’s eyes narrowed as the boy made his way up, glancing around.

“Dude, when was the last time we hung out up here?” He chuckled out, wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. She laughed in return, and Chat’s eyes narrowed further. Nino was being… Awfully snuggly. Did ‘siblings’ always act like that?

“Nino, seriously, you gotta close that door.”

“Nah, we can leave it. Your room was getting awfully warm.”

Awfully warm? Why was it getting awfully warm?! Had… Had Alya been right?  
Had those two been doing…. Things in there?! No, no…. No way. Nino wasn’t that type of guy, and he’d watched them for a decent amount of time and they’d done nothing. Well, he hadn’t watched them the WHOLE time, per say, but he’d been there long enough to pay attention to how their relationship was going. He was just jumping to conclusions… Yeah.

“You know….” Marinette’s voice brought Chat back, and he peered over the plant ledge, mouth parting into a curious little ‘o’, “It’s… It’s really nice. Having someone to talk to about this.” Talk to someone about what? Whatever they’d been chatting about all day? “I was...” Marinette sighed one of her pretty sighs, and fiddled with a pigtail end. Chat leered. She was being far too cute around Nino for his tastes… “I was always scared about telling someone, but now that you know, well… It just feels like a weight's been lifted, you know?”

Nino chuckled, squeezing Marinette closer with the arm around her neck, and Chat bit the inside of his cheek, “Marinette, dude, I will always be here to listen, you know that right? We haven’t been….” Nino leaned back to rub the back of his neck, “...Very close lately. I’ve been busy with my music and with my bud Adrien, and I know you struggled a long while in classes with Chloe and stuff, but...” Nino sighed and smiled, “I’ve always had your back. I always will have your back. You’re my home-girl, you dig?” Marinette was giggling again, and Chat’s heart was in his throat.

He wanted her to laugh like that around him.

As both Adrien and Chat Noir.

Was that so much to ask?

His head was beginning to feel foggy, and he shook his head, blinking the sudden heaviness out of his eyes. Marinette and Nino were chatting away, looking close as close could be. His heart was swirling with something he knew was almost like jealousy… But why did he have any reason to be jealous? Nino was his best bud, someone he could always rely on to be there. Marinette was….

She was looking his way, and opening her mouth.

Chat Noir squinted. She was saying something. He had to listen. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, trying to blink the drowsiness away. When he opened his eyes again, she looked mad, but there was something else there. He peered down, there was a potted plant on the balcony, split from falling. He was crouching where that plant had been moments before. When had he gotten up there?

“--At?” The voice finally broke through the fog, and Chat’s eyes drifted back up to Marinette and Nino. They were standing apart from each other. Chat wanted them to stand further apart. Marinette was getting closer, or was he moving? He wasn’t sure, all he knew was that his claws were wrapped around her shoulders, and she was looking up at him with those big, beautiful blue eyes. She was only looking at him, and Nino was far away.

His heart was happy.

A rumbling vibrated through his body, rattling his heart in his chest and trembling his bones. The cat boy lazily nuzzled his forehead along Marinette’s. She was talking to him; he didn’t hear her words, only the sound. This was all very familiar, this euphoric, pleased sensation… When had he felt this before? He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t think. He could only think about how there was a small, soft, sweet smelling girl in his arms.

“Princess...” The word purred through his wet lips, and then he looked down at the girl in his arms. At some point they’d ended up lying down. When had that happened? Marinette was staring wide eyed up at him from in between his legs, panting. She was covered in saliva. Covered in little marks and scratch marks. He was blinking slowly, panting. When had he run out of breath?

Chat Noir peered up, taking in the scene around him. A broken potted plant, Nino standing next to a closed window door, Marinette pinned by his knees on either side of her hips. Nino was staring wide eyed. Marinette was looking just as shocked, if not…. A little damper. He had saliva literally coating his chin. His throat hurt for whatever reason. He was still feeling fuzzy, like he was floating.

And then it hit him.

He knew this feeling.

This feeling was silvervine.

He’d been drugged again, and this time it was Marinette who’d been his victim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8 is done -v- thanks for the patience, kittens, and all of the lovely feedback from the previous chapter! I seriously cannot tell you enough just how much I love reading everyone's comments! You make this Sock a very very happy child ^^
> 
> I'm sorry I just really love drugging Chat Noir? It's the funnest to write. I hope you like this chapter, thanks so much for keeping up! I hope everyone is having a lovely evening <3
> 
> Putting this out again because why not - sockdilemma on tumblr. I post a lot of garbage and some good things :D Let's be friends!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His mouth was moving softly against her temple, tongue flicking out against her skin. Everything was very, very wet. Was he drooling a little? Probably. Scratch that, definitely. Chat's mouth was moving lower, his tongue rolling up against her earlobe, gently suckling it into his mouth.

Marinette was having a good day.

She'd been shocked and scared when Nino had found out her not so little secret, yes, but Nino knowing hadn't made her stress out as much as she'd initially thought. In fact, it had been quite pleasant being able to talk to someone about her Ladybugness so openly. She'd spent pretty much all day with the boy, chatting in class about her escapades as Ladybug, explaining how she had met Tikki over lunch, and they'd even hung out all afternoon in her room. It was nice to have someone understand all the nonsense she'd been put through with akumas and cheeky cats. Nino proved himself to be quite the excellent listener.

He'd stayed for dinner (Tom was quite excited to have his 'son' over after such a long time) and they'd gone back upstairs to Marinette's bedroom to chill just a while longer. After all, there wasn't any school the next day, and Nino's parents knew that the Dupain-Cheng house was a safe one. They were in no rush.

"Tikki, we brought you some cookies from down in the bakery!" Marinette chirped out, and Tikki peered out from behind Marinette's desktop, beaming excitedly as she fluttered over to collect her cookies from Nino, who couldn't stop smiling at the little kwami. He'd exclaimed earlier how he couldn't get over how cute she was, so she'd warmed quickly to the boy, who didnt seem to have a single bad bone in his body.

"Dang, Tiksters! You sure know how to pack away those biscuits!" Nino chuckled as Tikki stuffed her little face, smiling at her cookie delivery man and looking quite pleased. Nino reached over to the black bottle of silvervine on the table, squirting himself with it and spraying it around the room as he'd been doing all afternoon. Apparently that was the 'proper' way to use the cat spray; Marinette hadn't been spraying it everywhere, especially not after the incident with Chat Noir. She wasn't seeing the cat boy until much later, though, so she wasn't too worried about having the spray all about her room.

"So now what?" Marinette giggled out, leaning down to tickle cat Chat Noir as he made a beeline for Nino's lap, "I'm pretty sure you know more about Ladybug then Alya does at this point."

"Well..." Nino began, tapping his chin as he contemplated, "You can tell me what's going on between Ladybug and Chat Noir." Marinette sputtered, and Nino laughed, "Dude, you can't tell me there isn't something going on there! He's your favourite person to complain about, so you obviously dig him!" Nino tickled cat Chat's chin as the cat drooled over him affectionately, "And everyone knows that the bro has the hots for you!" Marinette couldn't deny that.

"Well, we.... It's complicated." she sighed out, smiling with a shrug, "Chat Noir is... He's a huge nerd." she couldn't help but giggle at that, and Nino grinned back at her, moving so he was sitting with the back of her computer chair pressing against his front, leaning on it to peer up at her, "Seriously, he's a loser. He loves nothing more than spewing AWFUL puns, he's clumsy, over dramatic," she began mimicking some of his classic Chat Noir poses, and Nino laughed. Tikki couldn't help but giggle too, through her cookie crumb coated face, "I'm pretty sure he has an anime addiction, I can't tell you how many times he's chatted about magical girl animes," Marinette sighed, smiling broadly to herself, "He's pretty much the biggest dork I've ever met."

"And you dig him?"

Marinette snickered, "Yeah, I do." there wasn't any point denying it, not when it was so obvious, "Nerd as he may be, he's my nerd, and I wouldn't change him for the world."

"Does he know? Who you are, I mean." Nino asked, quirking his head to the side. Cat Chat had jumped onto the back of the computer chair and was kneading Nino's back, Marinette chuckled at this. It was all so... Pleasant. So casual. She loved it.

"Nah, not yet," she shrugged out, "Despite how long we've been together... It's really only been a few days since we've acknowledged eachother as more than partners. I haven't been ready to tell him." that was all on her, of course. Had it been up to Chat, they probably would have been making out from the get-go. Marinette looked up to Nino, whose mouth was hanging slack, and she burst into another fit of laughter, "What? What's with that face?!"

"REALLY? Dude, that's... I'm surprised is all!" Nino was laughing too, "Man, I guess I lost that bet with Alya, then!"

"You guys were betting?!"

"Well yeah! I figured you two were all over eachother! I don't wanna pay up 20 bucks!"

"Nino! I didn't know you were such a romantic sap! Seriously, when did you two even start this bet?" Marinette was laughing so hard. Who knew that Nino would be the one out of her friends to ship her and Chat Noir?

"Since the day you guys first made the headlines!" Nino chuckled back, "No one else believed me! Apparently they had the right idea!" he grinned out, and Marinette beamed back at him. They laughed about this for a while more, Marinette teasing Nino for his 'shipping' and Nino teasing right back about how his ship had sailed. And then they were both red in the face, flushed and warm from laughing so hard.

"We... Should get some fresh air," Marinette decided, grinning as she made her way to the staircase up to her balcony, "Come on, you can't leave the house looking that flushed, man." She giggled as Nino groaned behind her, but got up off his chair none the less. Marinette pushed open the door to the outside, the cool air pleasant against her flushed skin. She stretched her arms up above her head, a little groan escaping her throat.

 

"But Mari, it's cold outside!" Nino whined out behind her, and she snickered at him, looking back at the boy who was making his way up the stairs still.

"Oh come on you big baby, it's not that cold out here," she giggled as she slipped out the door, taking a deep inhale of the cool air around her. She wished that she was in her suit at that moment, flying over rooftops with the chilly parisian air whipping through her hair. The weather had been kind to them this week, clear every single night. She loved when the evening skies were clear; her and Chat had sometimes taken to stargazing when it was this beautiful out and they needed a break from running. It was one of the things she loved to do when they were on patrol.

“Dude, when was the last time we hung out up here?” Nino's voice broke her out of her daze, and she gave a squeal as he threw an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze and a wide grin. It HAD been a long time since Nino had hung out with her on the balcony; probably since her tenth or eleventh birthday. Marinette glanced over her shoulder when she thought she'd seen something moving out of the corner of her eye, but found nothing.

"A while..." Marinette murmured, eyes narrowing. Must have been a pigeon or something, “Nino, seriously, you gotta close that door.” she motioned to the trap door, and Nino just shrugged. Well, if cat Chat Noir got out, she supposed he wouldn't be able to go far up here...

“Nah, we can leave it. Your room was getting awfully warm.” Marinette rolled her eyes, but smiled at her bud.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Maybe you're just used to living above a bakery, bra. It was smokin' in there!" Nino laughed back, turning his head to look up into the sky with a smile. Marinette followed his gaze; the moon was bright above them, illuminating the balcony. It was another beautiful night for stargazing... Maybe Chat Noir would be up for it later tonight? The air was quiet for a while, just her and Nino enjoying the chilly evening air.

“You know….” Marinette began, and Nino looked over at her curiously, “It’s… It’s really nice. Having someone to talk to about this.” she breathed out, eyes not meeting his as she peered up into the dark sky, “I was...” Marinette let a small sigh escape her lips, and dropping her eyes, fiddled with the end of one of her pigtails, twirling the strands of hair in between her fingers, “I was always scared about telling someone, but now that you know, well… It just feels like a weight's been lifted, you know?” the next step would be to tell Chat Noir, wouldn't it? If Nino knew, then Chat had every right to know as well.

“Marinette, dude," Nino's voice had her turning her head to look up at him, blue eyes wide with curiousity, "I will always be here to listen, you know that right? We haven’t been….” Nino was heaving a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, and Marinette pursed her lips, intent on listening, “...Very close lately. I’ve been busy with my music and with my bud Adrien, and I know you struggled a long while in classes with Chloe and stuff, but...” Nino sighed then, and Marinette sighed a little as well, smiling warmly at the boy, “I’ve always had your back. I always will have your back. You’re my home-girl, you dig?”

"Yeah, I 'dig'." she giggled out, and her bespectacled buddy grinned at her. And then they were giggling again, breath puffing out in small condensation clouds between them. Marinette wrapped her arm around Nino's shoulder as well, and squeezed him back affectionately. "Thanks, Nino, I--" the sound of a shattering pot froze her words in her throat, and she turned to the sound so quickly she nearly yanked Nino off his feet. She was in a fighting pose, but paused when her eyes focused on the source of the noise. Her body relaxed, but her brow was knit together in confusion.

"Chat?"

There was her black clad companion, perched up on the part of her balcony where she kept her plants. He was staring at the two of them, and it was a little unnerving how his eyes wouldn't turn away. He was still as a statue, probably in shock from being caught. Except... If he'd been shocked, wouldn't he be more panicky about this?

"Chat, what are you doing here?" she asked, brow furrowing as she stepped closer to the boy. He still didn't budge. She shared a glance with Nino, who was looking quite surprised, before turning back to the cat boy, "Chat, seriously. What's going on?" was he alright? He was staring at her, and then squeezing his face up tight as if he'd been sucking on a lemon. She hesitated to take another step forward. Something was off with the boy in front of her. He was looking at her again, brow knitted together in confusion.

"Chat?" she asked again, and then it hit her. Of course. "Nino, I need you to go close the door to my room." she murmured, giving the boy a glance. Chat had moved then, stumbling off the plant ledge and onto his feet, where he was swaying. She moved quickly to him then, not wanting him to fall and hurt himself, "Chat, hey, focus bud. Focus." She was touching his face gently, trying to bring him out of his trance. His eyes were unfocused, but his hands had found her shoulders, and she flinched as his claws pressed into her skin.

"Mari?" Nino asked from behind her, and she gave him a look. The boy hadn't moved. She hadn't explained what happened to Chat Noir when he smelled silvervine, which was all over her, all over Nino, and wafting up from her bedroom.

"Nino, the door, please!" she whispered back at him, but the boy continued to look dumbfounded. The hot breath against her face brought her back to the situation, and when she turned her head back to Chat, she found their noses brushing. Her whole body froze up. "...Chat?" she whispered, glued to the spot.

The boy started purring again, like the first night he'd been influenced, and was gently nuzzling his forehead against hers. Marinette trembled in his grip; his face was so hot against hers, feverish. Or maybe that was just because he was so excited? He kept inhaling the smell of her hair and sniffing around her ears, and she swallowed, "Chat Noir, come on buddy. It's just silvervine. You can get through this, you're stronger than that." her arms were touching his elbows, trying to pull his hands away from where they were digging into her skin. 

It wasn't working.

His mouth was moving softly against her temple, tongue flicking out against her skin. Everything was very, very wet. Was he drooling a little? Probably. Scratch that, definitely. Chat's mouth was moving lower, his tongue rolling up against her earlobe, gently suckling it into his mouth. She shuddered and pressed against him, "Chat, listen to me.... It's Marinette, not Ladybug..." she tried again, desperate for the boy to come back to his senses. He didn't know she was Ladybug. She didn't want him to go through the same hurt he'd already gone through when the first incident occurred. She didn't want to see him crying. "Chat Noir, come on. It's your princess, not your lady." she glanced over to Nino, who still. Hadn't. Moved. It seemed like he was in shock. 

Shit.

The boy who was currently trying to eat her ear groaned loudly, and she turned to him just in time for him to press his tongue into her mouth, and she let out a muffled yelp as he hungrily devoured her lips, their teeth clacking together loudly. She tried to grab his face and push him away, but he was too strong. His hands were snaking up from her shoulders, caressing her neck, cupping her cheeks... Marinette was positive she'd forgotten how to breathe. Their kissing was sloppy and wet, and she squeezed her eyes shut as Chat lazily bit at her lower lip, a trembling whimper escaping her throat. It wouldn't be a lie if she said she hadn't started kissing him back, unintentionally going with the flow. Curse this cute cat and his thorough tongue.

Very suddenly she was being pulled back, her feet stumbling beneath her as she caught her balance.

"Dude, you're gonna suffocate the poor girl! Get a grip, man!" Nino had finally jumped into action, and had grabbed at Chat Noir's wrists, holding him away from Marinette and stepping in between them. Chat barely registered the motion though, so it seemed, because he was at it again; this time though, he was kissing Nino. The boy let out a yelp as Chat Noir hooked his arms around Nino's neck, and Marinette couldn't help but be temporarily stunned. There they were, Chat Noir and Nino, making out on her balcony. Well, kinda. It was VERY one sided, Nino letting out angry and surprised sounds as Chat shoved his tongue into the poor boy's mouth. When Marinette finally got over the shock that her kinda boyfriend and her kinda brother-friend were sucking face, it was her turn to step in again.

It was better Chat was kissing her then it was kissing Nino.

Poor boy.

"Chat no, I'm here!" she snapped at him, yanking the blond away by his tail from his victim, who was looking red in the face and just as shocked as she was. She'd tugged the cat so hard he'd stumbled into her, and the two of them went toppling onto the balcony, Marinette letting out a hiss of pain as her bruised body smacked against the rooftop. Chat was on top of her, and for a moment, he was still. Only a moment though. He was then at her throat, and her breath caught. Unlike the last time the silvervine had gotten to him, Marinette was not wearing a super suit. Her very, VERY vulnerable neck was at the mercy of Chat Noir, who was kissing and licking at the spot of flesh hungrily. He'd moved so her hips were pinned in between his knees, and his hands were once against squeezing her shoulders, holding her close. He was distracted. Good.

"Nino! The door!" she managed out again. Nino had come out of his daze, and for the first time that night, had actually done what he was told. The boy darted to the door, shoving it closed as quickly as he could, and turned back to watch with wide eyes. Marinette knew that Nino and the bedroom were the largest sources of the silvervine smell, so Chat should start coming back within a few minutes. A few very wet, very affectionate minutes. She simply stayed still and waited as his movements became slower, lazier, and then he was simply panting above her, eyes unfocused.

"Princess...." the cat mumbled, looking down at her so affectionately that it stung. Marinette watched the boy silently as he began to focus, blinking slowly in between heaving breaths. Like molasses he was slowly looking around, taking in the scene. She didn't know what to do at the point, she realised. When he finally figured out what he'd done, he was going to freak out, like last time. Hadn't he been through enough this week?

"Chat?" she asked, swallowing at how the boy above her froze up. He was looking down at her then, chest still heaving. He was a mess. "Hey there chaton," she cooed, smiling up at him to try and keep him calm. He was already looking like he was going to panic. Great. "Your uh... Your face is a little messy. C'mere..." reaching up, she gently pressed one of her arm warmers to his face, biting her lower lip when he flinched at the contact. Very slowly, she wiped some of the saliva off the boy's chin, not looking into his eyes. He was going to cry, she knew he was going to cry. She didn't want to see it.

"M-Marinette, I..." the boy choked out. Yup, he was crying. She smiled, but couldn't quite meet his gaze just yet. "I-I'm so-s-sorry, I...."

"Chat, it's okay, it's okay...." the girl mumbled out, reaching out to gently wrap her arms around the trembling blond's neck, embracing him gently against her. His brain was calming down, but with him pressed up against her like this, she was all too aware of how... Excited certain other parts of his body were. It was a natural reaction, it's fine, it's fine.... "It wasn't your fault. You didn't mean it there, kitty. No need to cry...." she was all too aware of how awkward this was; Nino was watching them still from the corner while she tried to comfort a very excited crying Chat Noir, who'd successfully made out with them both.

She held him there for a while and he wept, holding her back. He kept whispering out little apologies into her ear between trembles and sobs, and she cradled him gently. At some point Nino had made a gesture that he was going to leave, the whole situation probably a little too hectic for him. She'd mouthed back that she'd explain later, and with a nod he let himself back into her room, closing the door behind him as quickly as possible. Marinette sighed. Yeah, it was going to be loads of fun explaining to poor Nino how Chat Noir got pissed drunk on cat drugs. Wonderful.

When Chat finally pulled away, he wouldn't look at her. She didn't blame him, of course; she figured his brain was going a mile a minute and his heart would be hurting. After all, he'd just kissed someone who wasn't Ladybug. He'd in fact kissed two people who weren't Ladybug, but you know, he probably hadn't even registered the fact that he'd sucked Nino's face off. He stood slowly, and Marinette sat up behind him, wrapping her arms around herself. They'd been out there for a while, and the moment that his body heat had left her, she was freezing.

"I... I have to go... Sorry, Marinette." the boy managed out, Marinette's head snapping up at the almost inaudible words. With that he was off, not even turning to look back. Marinette sat there for a moment or two more, before pushing herself up to her feet, using her jacket sleeve to wipe some of her face. Making her way back to her room, she took no time to slide into her bathroom, quietly cleaning herself up with a washcloth. She stared at herself in the mirror, frowning at her new love marks along the ride side of her neck, and how red her ear was on that side from Chat's insistent nibbling.

"Marinette?" Tikki's voice fluttered out from the doorway, and the midnight haired girl turned to look at the little kwami, "Um.... This probably isn't the best time..." the little bug began, looking a little timid where she fluttered, "But um.... Chat Noir is calling for you."

"Of course he is." Marinette sighed, before turning to her red companion, "Best we go comfort a certain kitten."

 

\---

 

"Chaton," Ladybug called as she landed on their usual rooftop, rubbing her neck as his figure flinched. He was sitting perched up on a chimney top, body curled into itself and away from her. She could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him, but pressed on, "You called?" she gently folded her arms across her chest, warming herself against the chill in the air. When he finally turned to her, she couldn't help but hurt for the poor boy. His cat ears were all droopy, and his face was looking puffy, even in the moonlight. His emerald green eyes met hers for just a moment, before averting down to stare at his boots.

"My Lady, I..." he began, but trailed off, shoulders hunching. Ladybug sighed.

"Chat." he peered up at her again, before looking back down, "Chat, come here." it was a demand, but a gentle one. She didn't want him to think she was mad. He gave a heavy sigh, before rolling onto his feet, moving towards her with his head bowed. "Hey now," she murmured, moving forwards to close the gap between them, "No need to be such a sourpuss." he couldn't stop the smile that split across his face at this, and she smiled back, before wrapping her arms around him.

"...Seems I'm not the only one who makes pawsitively bad puns." he murmured into her hair, nuzzling close to her. Ladybug couldn't help but snort.

"You're just rubbing off on me, is all." literally and figuratively, based off their earlier encounter. Chat Noir didn't know that, though. Chat chuckled into her neck, but then sighed, and pulled away to look at her face. He was doing that thing he did sometimes, biting the inside of his cheek. She knew what was coming, but steadied herself all the same.

"I... I got silvervined tonight." he muttered out, eyes back on his feet. Ladybug let out a little sigh; her chaton was a pitiful one, that was for sure, "I... I did something bad, that I shouldn't have. I just! I couldn't control it, a-and...."

"What did you do, Chat?" Ladybug cut him off before he began babbling in his panic, and the boy froze up, nibbling at his lower lip, "I won't be mad, I promise." she sighed out with a small smile, reaching up to gently cup the boy's face in her palm, bringing his eyes back to hers. She heard him take a deep inhale, eyes searching hers.

"You're gonna be mad." he managed out, and Ladybug sighed, before leaning forwards to gently brush her lips against his own.

"I won't be mad." she smiled out. Seriously, he was so doubtful of her! Well, she ought to be a little mad, but that wasn't the right way to go about this. Not when he was looking on the verge of tears again.

"I..." here it comes, "I kissed Marinette Dupain-Cheng." he breathed out, before stiffening again under her palm, "B-b-but I swear it was an accident! There was, she..."

"Hey hey, it's okay." Ladybug cut him off again, and whatever he was going to say died on his tongue, "You already said you couldn't control yourself, right? I get it. You and silvervine don't mix. It's okay." was she being too calm with this? Definitely. Did she think Chat Noir would pick up on that? If he hadn't realised that she was Ladybug when she'd accidentally outed herself a few nights ago, he definitely wasn't going to think anything of this. "It was a mistake and now you know for next time to be a little more cautious, right?"

"I.... I guess..." the boy looked a little in awe, mouth parting gently to reveal his pearly whites. She sighed again, leaning forwards to press his lips against her own once more. He didn't move for a bit, but then slowly, very slowly, kissed her back.

"Is that all you were worried about, Chat-Chat?" she asked when they parted, quirking her head. He was staring at her, contemplating something. Finally he gave a sigh, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah.... Uh, I guess that's all."

"Alright then, you just take it easy tonight maybe then, okay?" she smiled at him, and he smiled back, albeit a little more timid, "Boys who go around kissing everyone should just go rest," she giggled as he flushed, brow knitting together.

"Everyone?"

"Well yeah, Marinette, Nino---" she froze. Shit. Chat quirked his head, looking genuinely confused. What was with her mouth? Why was she blurting things out so much recently? "---Told me you'd tried to make a pass at him, too!" she laughed, but the air became far too quiet for her liking. Chat Noir was quiet, and then his eyes were narrowing, and he was leaning forwards with an unreadable expression on his puffy little kitty face. Ladybug's heart jumped into her throat.

Shiiiiit.

"...Wait." shit. "You talked to Nino?" shit shit shit, "When?" she'd messed up too bad,"You already knew?" Abort, abort! " But ho---"

"Sorry gotta go lots of homework to do tonight!" she blurted out, yanking herself away and turning as quick as she could before he could grab her, "Don't worry about it! Okay bye!" he opened his mouth to say something but she was already yo-yoing away, heart beating a mile a minute. Shit. She was a screw up, wasn't she? But he wouldn't figure it out, he couldn't. Just in case, Ladybug took the long way home, landing roughly on her balcony. She tsked at the broken plant that was still there, but decided not to worry about it. She had more pressing matters to stress over.

Like her lack of a filter.

 

\---

 

When Marinette woke up the next morning, all she could think about was the 'chat' she and Chat Noir had had the night before. She groaned, not wanting to think about any part of the night before, and rolled into her pillow. She was glad she didn't have school today; that meant not getting up, and avoiding all of her responsibilities. Marinette lay there for a few moments, before her phone went off somewhere above her head, and she groaned irritably.

She already knew who that text was from.

Reaching around, she found her phone tucked under her long cat pillow, and yanked it up to her face. Alya. That girl was practically telepathic; she could always tell when Marinette was awake. Marinette rubbed her tired face, opening up the text.

Alya: So you gonna finally answer me? Or am I gonna have to show up at your house.

Marinette blinked a few times, before she looked down at her call and text history. 7 missed calls, 14 missed texts. All of them demanding to know why Marinette wasn't answering her phone. The midnight haired girl gave a groan, head dropping into her pillow.

Mari: Sorry, lost my phone in my bed.

At least it was easy to fib over text. Marinette sat up, pushing a disgruntled cat Chat Noir off her covers. As she was stretching and cracking her stiff back, her phone buzzed again. Marinette really felt like ignoring it, but knew that she'd be in trouble with her bestie if she continued to ignore her. Marinette groaned tiredly, reaching for her phone once more.

Alya: I talked to Nino last night.

Marinette froze, swallowing nervously. She was going to text back, act all casual, but her phone buzzed again, and she nearly dropped it. Nearly. Marinette hesitated, but eventually opened the text, fearing the worst.

Alya: He thinks we should all hang out today. You in?

Marinette breathed out a heavy sigh she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Shit, she'd nearly had a heart attack there. Once she'd calmed herself down she straightened up, sending Alya a quick text, before crawling out of bed to get ready.

Mari: Depends. What are we thinking and with who?

Marinette made her way down her loft, nearly tripping on the devil cat, who yowled at her angrily, before darting off. She just rolled her eyes and made her way to the bathroom. Marinette peered into the mirror as she brushed her teeth, squinting at the new love marks she'd received from her chaton the night before. Were those hickies along her neck? Yes, yes they were. Was she going to be forced out of her house by Alya no matter what she said? Yes, yes she was. Marinette sighed and spat out her toothpaste, before hopping into the shower for a quick wash.

When she came back out her phone was flashing, and she picked it up and opened it, frowning as she read.

Alya: You, me, Nino, Adrien. We were thinking of going to the park, maybe the mall, the movies, who knows. You're coming though. I don't wanna be stuck in a sausage sandwich.

Marinette rolled her eyes, but chuckled at Alya. It was good she'd be able to see Nino today; she'd be able to try and explain to him the situation from the night prior. Seeing as he'd chatted with Alya, the boy mustn't have been that traumatised. 

The girl quickly shot back a confirmation text, before tossing her phone into her purse. Looking down at her arms, Marinette decided today she could get away with using come concealer or just wearing long sleeves as opposed to her arm warmers; they were covered in Chat Noir's drool from the night before. Not wanting to think about her kitty, she shook her head, before tugging on a longer version of her usual little black jacket. She then pulled out a cherry blossom pink scarf, one she'd knit the year before for herself, tucking it around her neck. She carefully adjusted it in the mirror, and with that, she was ready to go.

"Tikki, wake up! We're going out with friends." Marinette called, fiddling with a corner of her scarf. The little kwami fluttered out from bed, giving a big yawn.

"You gonna pack me some sweets?" she mumbled out, and Marinette grinned at her sleepy friend.

"Only the best for my little Tikki." she smiled back, giving the red bug a kiss, before gently tucking her into her purse. Marinette felt her phone go off, but ignored it as she made her way down stairs and into the bakery. She was quickly tucking away some biscuits and other goodies into her purse when her father's looming figure came into view, his warm face glowing as he beamed down at his daughter.

"Morning sweety!" he chuckled out, wrapping his little girl in a tight embrace. She squeaked as she was squeezed, but hugged her father back, "Your friend is here to pick you up. The nice young man from last time! Don't make him wait too long!" Tom gave her back a gentle clap, before wandering back into the kitchen to prep some more pastries. Marinette smiled. Looks like she'd have time to explain to Nino what had happened before they saw everyone else, after all. Marinette was still tucking pastries into her bag as she rounded the corner, tongue poking out the corner of her mouth in concentration.

"Morning Nino; we better get going, Alya hates waiting." she stated, turning to look up at her buddy with bright, shining eyes. She faltered where she stood though, and her smile slipped off her face.

"Uh, sure Marinette. We best get going, then." Adrien smiled back, looking a little bashful where he stood at the door. Marinette inwardly winced. Of course, if it had been Nino her father would have said so. She bit at her bottom lip, and the boy's smile faltered, "I-I mean, if you're not ready yet, there's uh, no rush..." he was rubbing the back of his neck, averting his eyes from her, and her heart jumped in her throat.

"No, no! Let's get going now. Sorry to make you wait." she smiled, walking up to him and ushering him out of the door.

The day had just started and she was already stuck with Adrien Agreste.

Just what she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay Chapter 9!!
> 
> Been sick as a dog these past few days, which has been butts, gotta tell you, but I managed to make this chapter out in decent time! Thanks so much again to kali_asleep for reviewing my stuff, as always <3 I don't know what I'd do without her :)
> 
> Hope you guys like this chapter! It was lots of fun to write <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Morning Nino; we better get going, Alya hates waiting." Marinette was talking to herself, and she looked up with him with a smile.
> 
> Except he wasn’t Nino, so the smile fell off her face almost instantly.

Chat Noir was a coward, and he knew it.

After that... Less than wonderful series of events on Marinette's rooftop, Chat Noir had ran. He had ran and ran until he didn't even know where he was running to anymore. Eventually he'd ended up on his and Ladybug's usual rooftop, his heart hammering in his ribcage. He needed to talk to Ladybug. He needed her that very moment. She'd understand, right? That it wasn't his fault? Yes, explaining why he was skulking around on Marinette's rooftop wasn't going to be easy but... He needed his bug. First things first, though: make sure the after effects of the silvervine were out of his system.

After a few minutes by himself to make sure he was feeling clear headed enough, he reached for his baton, holding it in trembling hands. His thumb brushed over the glowing green pawprint, and the communicator slid into view. Chat Noir stared at it, and bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't need to feel so guilty, it had been an accident. He couldn't help it, though. He'd pushed down his friend, he'd slobbered all over her, and he'd clearly scared the living daylights of his other friend, who'd been there to watch the whole damn thing. With a hard swallow, Chat Noir pressed down on the button to call Ladybug.

The first call came and went, no answer.

Chat Noir cursed under his breath. What could she possibly be doing?! She said they'd meet up tonight. Maybe she'd forgotten? The cat bit the inside of his cheek anxiously, feeling a little nauseous from all the nerves. He pressed the call button again. Nothing. At this point Chat Noir was breaking into a cold sweat, his lower lip quivering. His brain was spinning, running a thousand horrible situations as to why Ladybug would be neglecting his calls. Clearly the silvervine wasn't one hundred percent through his system, because he knew his panicking was irrational, but couldn't control the break down that was hitting him, hard. He was curling to the rooftop below him, running his free hand through his wild locks and trying to calm himself.

The communicator rang, and Chat's stomach lurched.

Ladybug.

"M-My Lady?!" the boy gasped, frantically pressing at the 'answer' button. Ladybug was looking a little frazzled herself, eyes wide as she took in Chat's face over the device.

"Chat, are you okay? You look like you've been scared half to death!" her face was twisted in concern, and he desperately tried to reel himself in, grabbing his leg and squeezing so hard that had he not been wearing magical leather, he definitely would have punctured the skin. The pain had him wincing, but was helping him keep it together. Focus, Chat. Calm down there buddy. It was okay. She was there. It was alright.

"I-I need you." Chat Noir began, flinching at the note of desperation in his voice, "I-I mean.... To see you. Please." his voice broke and quivered, and he felt like he was beginning puberty all over again. Ladybug was quiet for a moment, and even through the small screen, he felt her eyes boring deep into his soul. He wanted to hide away from those dazzling eyes, fearing she'd see his weakness, his guilt. She sighed, and Chat Noir swallowed again, his entire body wracked with shudders.

"I'll be there in five." was all she said, and then she was gone. Chat released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Okay. Five minutes to calm down. He could do that. The quivering boy weakly managed to his feet, and he ran his clawed hands over his face a few times. Focus. It was going to be alright. Everything was going to be okay. The boy curled himself up on a chimney top, hunching into himself as he slowed his breathing, getting a hold of his drumming heartbeat.

When she arrived 8 minutes and 13 seconds later (not that he'd been counting), Chat Noir flinched, and couldn't bring himself to turn and look at her. He was the one who'd called her, but now that she was there.... He was scared. As much as he wanted to believe she'd be understanding, there was always the possibility that she'd be mad at him. Or even worse, hurt by his foolish actions. The leather clad boy's claws scraped against the brick of the chimney, leaving long chalky marks against the deep red. She called for his attention again, and he swallowed his cowardice, peeking over his shoulder at his scarlet damsel. She was as beautiful as she always was, lean frame silhouetted against the glow of the moon. He had to avert his eyes as the guilt built up in his throat, and he swallowed it down.

"My Lady, I..." he began, biting his cheek. What was he to say? 'Sorry beautiful, I kind of just made out with another girl? By accident?' Yeah sure, that would go over swimmingly. He tried again, but found that there were no words in his throat, and slumped into himself, his claws anxiously scratching at the brick beneath him once more. The sigh that escaped her lips caught his ear, and he peered up at her through tousled blond bangs.

"Chat," she cooed and he averted his eyes as his heart gave a leap, "Chat, come here." it was the first time in his life he didn't want to go to her, even when his heart was longing for him to wrap himself around her. When he'd been sitting too long and knew very well that he should never keep a lady waiting, the boy rolled off the chimney top, ankles weak as he made his way towards her. He couldn't even lift his head out of shame. "Hey now..." she murmured, moving towards him and pressing her chest against his own. He hoped that his heartbeat wouldn't give away how he was feeling right then, because it was frantic, "No need to be such a sourpuss." 

The boy faltered, and couldn't stop the small smile from cracking it's way across his face. He was weak to puns, especially when they came from Ladybug. She was holding him then, wrapping her arms gently around his broader frame. He didn't hesitate to press his face into her hair, nuzzling and inhaling a scent that was uniquely Ladybug.

"...Seems I'm not the only one who makes pawsitively bad puns." he breathed out, and his smile cracked a bit wider as she snorted, burying his face into the crook of her neck. How he loved that sound.

"You're just rubbing off on me, is all." Ladybug's pun game was strong that evening, so it seemed. He chuckled to himself, before falling quiet. As much as he wished they could stay holding each other like this forever, he couldn't avoid the inevitable. He had to tell her, he had to get this guilt off his chest. He needed to apologize. With a heavy sigh, he heaved his head off her shoulder, looking down into her bright sapphire eyes. She was looking at him with a face that he couldn't quite read... Contemplative. Understanding, maybe? He bit the inside of his cheek out of habit. It was now or never, kitty cat.

"I... I got silvervined tonight." he began, his body burning with shame as he dropped his gaze, "I... I did something bad, that I shouldn't have...." Ladybug heaved a sigh, and Chat nearly threw up his heart, "I just!" he felt his panic surging again, and his face burned and paled at the same time, "I couldn't control it, a-and...."

"What did you do, Chat?" Chat Noir's voice came to a stuttering halt mid word, and he completely froze. Ladybug seemed to notice this, and gave another small sigh, but smiled, "I won't be mad, I promise." she was moving then, her hands gently grazing across his cheeks. He shuddered at the contact, a shakey exhale escaping his lips as they locked eyes. 

"You're gonna be mad."

She gently kissed him.

"I won't be mad."

She was going to be so mad.

"I....I kissed Marinette Dupain-Cheng." it came out easier than expected. Ladybug didn't even bat an eyelash, and his body stiffened, "B-b-but I swear it was an accident!" the blond blurted out, fear coating his gut as his lady continued to stare blankly at him, "There was," she gently quirked a brow, and Chat was ready for death, "She..."

"Hey hey..." here it comes...

"It's okay."

Chat Noir's mouth fell slack, and anything he was going to say after the fact faded to nothing. "You already said you couldn't control yourself, right?" Ladybug gave a shrug, and smiled at the stunned boy, "I get it. You and silvervine don't mix. It's okay." Chat's mouth snapped shut. How... How could she possibly be so... So calm about this?! He'd kissed another girl. He'd forced himself on another girl and she was just... Cool with it. His shoulders lost all their tension as he stared hard at his partner, trying to read her expression. She had to be mad. No one, not even his lady, could ever be that forgiving... 

"It was a mistake and now you know for next time to be a little more cautious, right?" she asked, fingers gently pushing some hair from his face.

"I.... I guess..." this was... Weird. Something was off. He wanted to say something, but then Ladybug was gently kissing him, and well, he could never deny a kiss from the superheroine. He kissed back softly, gut still stinging with the weight of the situation.

"Is that all you were worried about, Chat-Chat?" Ladybug asked as she pulled her lips from his, and he swallowed. She wanted to move on from the conversation. She was too calm. He was missing something crucial here.

"Yeah.... Uh, I guess that's all."

"Alright then, you just take it easy tonight maybe then, okay? Boys who go around kissing everyone should just go rest," that rang some bells, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"...Everyone?"

Well yeah, Marinette, Nino-" Ladybug suddenly froze up, and Chat quirked a curious brow, "...Told me you'd tried to make a pass at him, too!"

Hold the phone.

First of all...

"...Wait. You talked to Nino?" Ladybug paled, Chat Noir pushed on, "When?" There hadn't been enough time between the incident and their meetup to have talked to Nino, had there? "You already knew?" She was faltering now, looking like a mouse caught by the cat, " But how--" Ladybug was pushing away from him then, so quickly he was taken by surprise. She slipped out of his reach, and before he could say anything, she was gone. Chat Noir was an oblivious boy, yes, but all of these little pieces of information he'd received over the span of the week were all starting to click into place.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a young girl who had a crush on him (both sides, respectively), had received marks all over her arms the same night he'd gone at Ladybug. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had a cat in her room that hadn't been there before, and Ladybug was cat sitting. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had her heart broken, and Ladybug kissed him for the first time (second, technically) that same night. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had midnight coloured hair and blue eyes.

Ladybug had midnight coloured hair and blue eyes.

There were so many coincidences that it was far too.... Coincidental.

He wasn't sure what possessed him then, but before he knew it he was beelining for Marinette's balcony once more. He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. But he had to know. He landed on a rooftop across the street, and slunk down, staring hard. His heart and brain were ticking away a mile a minute, and with every passing second, he felt ill with anticipation.

Something red blurred into focus from the corner of his eye, and landed on Marinette's balcony. Chat Noir's breath hitched in his throat as the lean figure of his lady peered around, before slipping into the room. He sat there for a short while more, his head pounding and his mouth dry.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug.

 

\---

 

“What, you _just_ figured that out now?” Plagg yawned, stretching his tiny paws above his head, before reaching for the cheese he’d stashed next to Adrien’s bed. Adrien’s face was pale as he stared slack jawed at the little god.

“YOU MEAN YOU _KNEW_?!”

“Well yeah, of course I knew,” Plagg shrugged, taking a bite of smelly cheese as Adrien pulled at his hair in frustration, “Any simpleton could have figured it out, really.”

“Why didn’t you _tell_ me?!?”

“You didn’t ask.” The cat shot him a cheeky look, and Adrien’s face burned hard.

“PLAGG.”

“I figured you were smart enough to get it on your own,” Plagg grinned out, munching on some more cheese, “Guess you had us both fooled, huh.” Adrien had so many conflicting emotions in his heart, he felt like he was going crazy.

“You don’t UNDERSTAND, Plagg!” Adrien shouted, running his hands down his face, “This whole time! She was sitting behind me this whole time, we took a nap in the same bed together, she likes me, and I--” Adrien paled, jolting to a halt, “I BROKE LADYBUG’S HEART. FOR LADYBUG.” The blond smacked himself upside the head, ignoring Plagg’s snickering, “I’m such an _idiot_!”

“Well, if you didn’t say it...”

“Shut up, Plagg. Can’t you see I’m having a mid-teen crisis?!?” Adrien moaned, falling back onto his bed and running his hands through his hair, staring blankly at the ceiling, “She’s been there this whole time. She’s been there and I’ve been so…. Oblivious.”

“Well NOW you’re just being dramatic.” Plagg sneered out, rolling his eyes so hard at the boy his little head lulled back with the effort, “This always happens when Ladybugs and Chats don’t tell one another their identities straight out. Personally, I think you’re all just a bunch of babies.” Adrien shot Plagg a hard glare, which the little kitty ignored, “You go for whatever amount of time pining after one another but being too nervous to let each other know your identities, one of you gets hurt, the other finds out, yada yada… It’s always the same. You teenagers are a hormonal mess.”

“....Why do I even bother talking to you?” Adrien whined, rolling to squish his face into his pillow. Plagg had a point, he was being over dramatic. Could you blame him, though? All of this time, and everything that had happened this past week… It was all just so much for him to try and compute at once. The boy tucked his pillow under his chin, heaving a tired sigh. Plagg side-eyed him from up with his cheese pile, little mouth tucking up into a frown.

“Look, Adrien,” the boy peeked up at the tiny cat, pouting his lips, “So what if you didn’t figure it out until now? It’s not going to change anything. You still feel the same way for her, do you not?”

“Well…. Yeah….”

“And what about this, you like both sides of her, right? In and out of the mask,” Adrien opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut and flushed, “You can’t even deny it. There’s a reason you can’t get her out of your head. You even sleep talk about the damn girl,” Adrien blushed deeper, pushing his face into his pillow as Plagg snickered, “Trust me, you’re not quiet about it either.”

“But just…. Ugh.” Adrien groaned out. He couldn’t even think of anything to say, besides shouting about how he should have known about it at this point. Plagg was sighing above his head, and Adrien managed out a low whine.

“Don’t beat yourself up there kid, seriously.” The cat murmured, floating down to land on Adrien’s head, “It’s probably better you know now than later, right? It clears up a lot of things.” Adrien paused at this. It was…. A very true statement. He didn’t have to feel bad for kissing Marinette, because she was Ladybug. He still felt bad about forcing it on her, but it did make him feel… A little better? “You guys were going to learn each other’s identities eventually, anyways.”

Adrien pushed himself up from his pillow so fast, he sent Plagg flying.

Shit.

Marinette didn’t know about his secret identity yet.

Plagg gave a growl of complaint from where he fell on Adrien’s mattress, but paused at Adrien’s facial expression. Plagg pretty much knew exactly how Adrien’s mind worked, and as they met eyes, Adrien swallowed. A cheshire grin split across the little kwami’s face; Adrien paled visibly.

“She doesn’t know yet, huh? _My my_ ….” The teasing tone in the cat’s voice was back, and Adrien let out an exasperated sigh as his face smacked the pillow once again, muffling his whines, “Looks like my little lover boy is still going to have some problems from here on out.” The little cat returned to his cheese pile, pushing a triangular slice of camembert down his throat.

“Best of luck there, bucko. You’re gonna need it.”

 

\---

 

Adrien stood in the warm little bakery, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for his… Princess? His Lady? His… Marinette, to come down the staircase. When he’d gotten the text from Nino stating that he ‘Needed emotional support from his bros’ (Adrien felt immensely guilty, knowing it was his -Chat Noir’s- doing) Adrien had taken it as the perfect opportunity to get his mind off of the whole Marinette/Ladybug thing. 

What he hadn’t known was that Nino had invited his entire ‘squad’ to hang out, and that he’d been chosen to fetch the girl because Nino didn’t want to go to the bakery for a little while (again, Adrien’s fault) and Marinette wouldn’t have had any other way out to where they were going.

And so here he was. He had texted Marinette when he’d arrived, but had gotten no response from the girl… He hoped she’d had a chance to read the text. A looming figure in the back peered out, and Adrien was met with Marinette’s father’s toothy grin.

“Hey there! Marinette’s friend!” His laughter boomed through the small bakery, but it wasn’t an unpleasant sound. In fact, it quite fit with the cozy ambiance and the delightful scent of fresh pastries. Adrien smiled back bashfully, giving Tom a small wave.

“Uh, hi Mr. Dupain-Cheng,” he began, and Tom grinned broadly, “I’m here to pick up Marinette. We’re going to go out with friends today.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so sooner, son?” Tom laughed again, and Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle a little as well. Tom’s joyful personality was infectious, “That little girl of mine is probably still sleeping. I’ll go grab her for you! Wait right there, I’ll be back in a jiffy!” With that the looming man was gone, humming a cheery tune as he made his way through the back of the store.

He didn’t have to wait long; Tom’s cheery voice echoed through the bakery, even from the back, and a lighter, softer voice could be heard responding. Adrien perked up as the midnight haired girl came around the corner, tucking things away in her purse. He opened his mouth to greet her, but abruptly cut himself off.

"Morning Nino; we better get going, Alya hates waiting." Marinette was talking to herself, and she looked up with him with a smile.

Except he wasn’t Nino, so the smile fell off her face almost instantly.

Adrien swallowed nervously, and forced on a model-quality smile, “Uh, sure Marinette… We best get going, then,” he managed out. Marinette continued to stare at him, and hesitation bloomed in his ribcage, “I-I mean...” He began, feeling his face go hot, “If you’re not ready yet, there’s uh… No rush.” He reached up to rub the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish.

“No, no!” Marinette gasped, catching his attention once more, “Let’s get going now. Sorry to make you wait.” She was smiling but Adrien could tell it was forced as she pressed the boy out the front door. His driver was waiting there for them, and Adrien felt Marinette pause.

“After you, Marinette.” Adrien gave a small but very Chat Noir bow, and Marinette raised a brow, before slipping into the car. The boy followed shortly after nodding to his driver as the man pulled away from the curb. He thought of sitting next to her, but considering the hecka awks vibes he was getting, chose to sit across from her instead.

The awkward silence that followed for the first few moments was incredibly painful.

“So uh,” Marinette’s voice broke the silence, and Adrien peered up at her through blond locks, “W-where are we going?” Just watching her subtle little mannerisms and listening to her voice, Adrien could not get over how he hadn’t noticed the similarities earlier: he had seriously been so blind, not seeing the girl across from him for who she was. When he realised she’d been waiting for his reply, he jumped and flushed.

“Oh! Ah, Nino suggested we all meet up at his place and decide where we’d be going from there.” He managed out, and she quirked her head to one side. So Ladybug, so precious, “His house is closest to the mall and stuff and I think he wanted to go shopping or something.” He chuckled a little at this, and Marinette giggled back. Nino didn’t look it, but he was a shopaholic.

As the car fell silent again, Adrien couldn’t help but find himself staring at Marinette, who’d pulled out her sketchbook and had started scribbling, probably as an excuse to ignore him. His eyes became absorbed in soft curves of her face, her long, dark lashes, her pink tongue that poked up from in between her lips in concentration… He found his heart racing as he took her all in, this perfect girl who happened to be his two favourite people in one. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair, bring her close and ghost his lips over hers, run his hands along her neck and shoulders and to caress every inch of her being.

“--Adrien?” Adrien blinked out of his intense focus, eyes turning up to Marinette’s blue orbs, which were now fixed on him, “Are you going to get out of the car? Or….” it occurred to him that the vehicle had stopped moving. And that he’d been caught staring.

Great.

“Oh yeah! Sorry, a little tired today.” He grinned out, and Marinette gave him a little shrug in response, before slipping out of the car. Adrien followed suit, getting a quick peek at her bum (dang it was cute) as he went. 

Nino was waiting outside for them, alongside Alya, who was leering at the pair.

“You’re late.” The redhead sneered, and Adrien couldn’t help but flinch away at her sharp gaze. Was he still moderately intimidated by the red head’s predatory habits? Yes, yes he was. Thankfully Marinette was not, and she simply giggled, throwing her arm around the redhead’s neck.

“Sorry, Alya! That was all me!” The girl snickered, and Alya instantly relaxed. So did Adrien, for that matter. The blond moved to Nino, who was looking tired as all heck, and went to sling an arm around the boy’s shoulder, but hesitated, and decided against him. Considering he may or may not have been kissing the boy the night before, it was probably best if he gave him some space. He decided to give him a friendly punch in the arm instead.

“Hey bud,” Adrien grinned out. Nino seemed to appreciate the gesture, because he gave Adrien a light shove back, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re looking rough man, you sure you’re up to hang?”

“Yeah dude, just a little tired. I can deal.” The spectacled boy responded. Adrien didn’t blame him and looking around, he figured Alya had probably been the only one who’d gotten a decent sleep in their little gang. She was whispering something to Marinette, who was whispering back furiously. Alya then shot him a glance, and he recalled their escapades from the day prior.

Oh.

Alya still thought there was something going on between Mari and Nino.

There wasn’t though, right? Marinette had him, or rather, Ladybug had Chat Noir. There was no mysterious other man….

Hold up.

 _He_ was the mysterious other man in Marinette’s life. And by he, he meant Chat Noir.

…

Well shit, he’d been jealous of himself.

It occurred to him his friends had started off on their way, and he stumbled into a speed walk, catching up to them with a sheepish grin. Just listening in on their conversation, it seemed as though they’d all decided going to the mall first and foremost was in everyone’s best interests. Adrien stepped a few paces behind them, tucking his hands into his pockets. Hopefully they’d be able to smooth all of these bumps and mistakes out while they were shopping.

 

\---

 

Adrien wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this point, but Nino and himself had been standing outside of the women’s change rooms for twelve minutes. Twelve long, painfully awkward minutes of them avoiding leering mothers and confused sales clerks as they just stood outside of one change room door. It had been Alya’s idea to try on some ‘cute things’ in a store that sold pretty much nothing but skimpy panties, and while Adrien wasn’t one hundred percent sure why, he could assume it probably had something to do with Nino.

Why she dragged Marinette along with her to try things on was beyond him.

They’d only gone in with one or two things each, and the boys had been told to wait outside. Alya had come out to show off her ‘goods’ and had flaunted some new choice undergarments, much to Adrien’s shock and Nino’s embarrassment, before strutting back in, yelling at the other girl in the change room next to hers to hurry on up.

They were still waiting on Marinette.

Adrien cleared his throat after his cellphone indicated that the thirteenth minute had passed, and he glanced to Nino, who was shuffling his feet awkwardly. Alya had already gotten dressed and had gone off to go look at more things. The boys still waited. How long did it take women to try on undergarments? At modelling shows it never took this long. The pair spared each other another glance, before Adrien took it upon himself to confront the door. He tentatively knocked on the change room door, and paused.

“Uh… Mari? Everything...” he glanced at Nino, who egged him on, clearly desperate to leave the store, before turning to go find Alya, “Okay in there?” he held his breath and listened. He could hear hushed words, and angry grunts from in the change room. He cleared his throat again. “Uh...” Marinette’s head popped out from the door so fast Adrien jerked back in surprise. She was looking pink, eyes as wide as his.

“Everything’s _fiiine_!” she managed out, laughing in a high pitch that was dripping with nerves, “I’ll be out in a sec!” while she was laughing, Adrien couldn’t help but let his eyes wander. Marinette was leaning forwards through the crack of the door, her scarf loose around her shoulders. From this angle he could see the hickeys along her neck that had definitely been left by his alter-ego. What else could he see?

A lot of pale skin.

Adrien flushed when he realised he’d been staring, and averted his eyes before Marinette caught him. If his lady had known he’d been peeking inappropriately at her, she’d have his head, “Right, uh...” he began, swallowing, “S-sure.” he moved to turn away, but the sound of the door swinging open and a small yelp sounded out behind him. The next thing he knew a weight was pushing into him, and then his mouth was full of inky coloured hair as he stumbled backwards, holding the girl in his arms tightly against himself.

When he puffed the black hair out from his mouth and peered down, his instant reaction was to stare. A partially naked Marinette was in his arms, looking beet red from the shoulders up in not but a lacey pink nightgown, matching panties, and her scarf. He shot a look around anxiously; there were no onlookers and Nino had wandered off. Still, he couldn’t let Marinette’s practically bare torso be out in the open public, and he pushed into the changeroom, the door clicking shut behind them.

Once he was in there he regretted his decision.

He was still holding her tight in his arms, and it wasn’t until she cleared her throat that he let her go, face burning hot, “I-I’m so sorry Marinette! I just- I thought--” oh god, he could see everything. Every freckle that danced across her narrow shoulders, every fading bruise that she’d no doubt received during one of their many battles, every neatly defined muscle and groove in her skin, even the fresh marks from the night prior, as her scarf had tumbled from around her neck and onto the change room floor. 

He swallowed as his palms began to sweat. This was Marinette in front of him and he shouldn’t have been staring at her like this… Like a hungry animal. She was his friend, she was his partner, she was the love of his life that was so new and fresh in his mind. He was tarnishing that love by looking at her, especially when she thought his heart belonged to another. He was moving then, turning to let himself out.

A trembling hand caught his sleeve.

“W-wait,” Marinette breathed, and Adrien peered over at her bashfully, trying hard to focus his eyes on her face, “I… Um….” she kept averting her eyes, face beat red. Adrien held his breath. Was she upset with him? Was she going to try and explain the bruises? Did she maybe, by a very slim chance, know he was Chat Noir?

“Yes, Marinette?” he murmured out, swallowing anxiously as he waited for her to say something, anything.

“I… I need your help.” she fumbled out, and Adrien’s heart caught in his throat as she nibbled on her lower lip.

“Anything...” he practically wheezed, his body suddenly burning. He almost tagged on a ‘for you’, but didn’t want to push his luck. She brought him closer, holding one lean arm against her frame to hide her small amount of cleavage. It wasn’t hiding anything. She was leaning up to his ear then, and his body stilled.

“I… I’m stuck.”

“You’re….” Adrien paused, before his burning instantly ceased, “What?” He pulled back a little to look in the girl’s eyes, brow shooting high on his forehead.

“I.. M-my bra got caught in the l-l-lace,” she stuttered out, and if possible, she got _even_ redder, “I tried to get Alya to help me b-but...” Adrien was staring at her hard. She’d been in here nearly 13 minutes because of… Lace problems?

“Why didn’t you just, you know...” he made a little pulling motion between his fingers, and Marinette’s mouth pulled up into a fine line.

“Adrien Agreste!” the boy in question flinched, “For someone whose father works in _fashion_ , you are an idiot!” she snapped out, and he was hit so hard across the face with Ladybug sass he was temporarily stunned, “First off, this is lace on silk! Do you know how easy this would be to tear and pucker!?” Adrien brought up his shoulders in confusion; Marinette was on a roll, “Second off, do you even know how much this costs?! Do you honestly think I can afford to buy this, let alone _tear_ it?! And THIRD--” her voice had been getting higher, and out of fear of them getting caught in there, he raised a hand to her lips, shushing in the process.

“Okay, okay! Sorry! Now please Mari, shhh!” she gave him a strong pout, and he nervously peered over his shoulder, listening for any signs of people looming outside the door, “I’ll help, okay? Just… Let’s keep it down.” she breathed out heavily, before turning her back to him, grabbing onto one ponytail to fiddle with as he took in the damage.

“How on earth did you manage this?” he asked, and she shot him a look over her shoulder but didn’t reply. The intricate threads of lace were tangled and knotted around the notches of her bra, almost to the point where you couldn’t tell where the bra began and the threads ended. No wonder she’d been in here so damn long. Adrien wiped his clammy hands on his pants, before he carefully reached forward, and began trying to untangle the giant knot Marinette had managed to make herself.

It was silent, painfully so, as Adrien focused on the fine strings, piano fingers careful and delicate as to not over pull or rip any of the expensive threads. Every once and again he’d take a peek up at Marinette’s freckled shoulders, but the urge to lean forwards and trail kisses in between each speckle had him reverting his focus back to the lace. She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything and he couldn’t do that to her.

Not as just Adrien, anyways.

“So, um….” Adrien murmured, wincing as Marinette’s body stiffened at his words, “I wanted to say, well,” he cleared his throat, pulling a particularly nasty knot apart in the process, “That I’m… Sorry.” the silence that followed burned his ears, and his hands stopped moving to peer up at her.

“...What for?” she replied quietly, and he bit at the inside of his cheek. He wanted to do this, he’d initiated the conversation. He wanted to tell her, so they’d be even. Adrien exhaled deeply, and pushed on.

“I… The other day….” he began again, pulling another few strings loose, “On the bed in the nurse’s office.” if possible, she stilled even further, and the red flush faded from the back of her neck. Adrien watched her for a while, and when she didn’t interrupt, resumed his speech.

“I said some things that...” he paused, rolling a few words over his tongue to decide the best one for this conversation, “...Hurt you. In ways that I never intended.” the boy’s thumb rolled over a bundle of thread that came loose relatively quickly, “Marinette...” he breathed her name in a sigh, and her bare skin goosebumped under his breath, “You’re… You’re really special to me, and I need to tell you something. Something important.” he sucked in a shakey inhale as his heart pounded furiously in his heart.

This was it.

They’d know.

“Marinette, I---”

“I’m sorry, Adrien.” Marinette stated sharply, and Adrien’s confession died on his tongue, “I can’t… I can’t listen to what you’re going to say next.” Adrien’s heart fell into the depths of his ribcage, and he swallowed at the cotton that was suddenly in his throat.

“No Mari, you don’t understand, I---”

“I like someone else, Adrien.” she stated, brilliant blue turning to him so quickly it put him in a state of paralysis. There was hurt and anger in those eyes, burning so brightly behind sapphire that the heat stole all the air from his lungs. She was pulling away to turn to him, raising her head up strong. He was faltering. 

He had to tell her.

“B-but, Mari--”

“You had your chance, and you hurt me. You hurt parts of me you can’t even begin to imagine.” her voice was steady, but with every passing word came more and more raw emotion, “And I don’t know what you think gives you the _right_ to taunt me like this, but I’m not putting up with it.” Panic was rising in his gut, acid burning his heart.

“Y-You don’t understand, Marinette! Please, let me---”

“So either you get out, or I will make you leave.”

Adrien was at a loss of words. His Ladybug -Marinette- was refusing to hear from him. He realised then, with a heavy heart, he couldn’t do it like this. Not when he was Adrien, not when he had the face of the boy who’d broken her heart. It was paining her more than anything to stand up to him like this. He needed his mask, he needed his confidence. And Marinette?

Marinette right now needed him gone.

The blond bowed his head, tears stinging in his eyes. He understood where she was coming from, but it still hurt to hear the one person you knew who’d always be there for you reject you so adamantly. As he pushed out the change room door and past a confused Alya and Nino, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was what Marinette had felt those few days ago.

He knew today would be a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SORRY this took so long DDD: I had no intention of leaving this chapter to wait for such an extended period of time! There was a lot of... Creative struggles. It's up now though :'x sorry sorry!
> 
> As always, thanks to kali_asleep for looking over it for me <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one will be finished a LOT sooner, I promise!  
> \---
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr! The name's sockdilemma :D I love making friends!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pulling her yo-yo from her hip Ladybug jogged into the chaos, leaping over a demolished mall fountain and over a trembling pair of bystanders. One of said bystanders grabbed at her wrist, and she lurched to a stop, turning to look at the person who grabbed her. Her eyes met with those of her best friend’s, and her heart leapt into her throat.

Marinette had had enough.

Did Adrien not realise how much he tortured her, just by being in the same, small space? Had she not been in the predicament she found herself in, she would have kicked him out of the change room at the first opportunity. Unfortunately Alya's absence and inconvenient lace meant she had needed help, and there had only been one able body there. One with slim, nimble fingers. Things would have been fine had he not decided to man up and say something to her. Everything would have been hunky-dory had he not gotten weird.

He did get weird though, and suddenly he was confessing to her. What exactly? She hadn't had enough patience to listen, truth be told. She was still so raw from her heart break, and Chat Noir's affections were so very fresh and warm in her mind... Did Adrien honestly think she had such an easily swayed heart? If he did, he was very very wrong.

And she let him know that, loud and clear.

She had been thrown off by his pained expression and the tears that rose before her very eyes, but Marinette had held firm and resolute. Even as he pushed his way out of her dressing room her head had kept high, and she hadn't blinked an eyelash. She didn't even falter when Alya and Nino's eyes dragged over her pink clad form, and only moved to firmly close the change room door. Whatever she was going to be dealing with outside that door, she was going to be wearing actual clothing for it.

Once removed from her lacey pink garments and once again in her usual ensemble plus scarf, Marinette pushed open the door again, and was met by a bewildered Alya. Nino's presence was absent; he'd likely gone after his blond companion. The girls stared eachother down for a few moments in silence. Alya was the first to make her move.

"So are you going to tell me why _Adrien_ was in your change room?" of course that was the first thing she worried about.

"My bra got caught in the lace of that nightgown, you weren't around to help me remove it." Marinette replied cooly, her sass still burning in his gut. She was feeling spicy after telling Adrien off, in both the good and the bad ways. Alya quirked a brow at her, and Marinette's brow furrowed. More silence followed.

"Aaaand is there a reason why he ran out crying?" the redhead finally pushed, hands planting themselves on her hips. Marinette's lips pursed. How much did she want to fill her friend in on?

"He apologized for hurting me.... And then tried confessing to me," the midnight haired girl began, pausing when Alya's eyes went comically wide, "Not sure what he was trying to confess, and frankly, I don't care. I'm done with him hurting me Alya. I'm done aching over him." Alya was staring at her, trying to read what she was thinking. Marinette remained composed.

"So you _made him cry_?" the redhead finally asked again, and Marinette paused at how... Raw Alya's voice sounded, "Like girl, I get it, he hurt you. But you said so yourself: he didn't know. That's what you told me a few days ago." Marinette's brow arched, "And you didn't even give him a chance to tell you what he was thinking, did you? He probably wasn't going to say what you thought he was going to say. Revenge isn't a good look on you, Mari." Alya was shaking her head solemnly, and Marinette didn't understand why her friend was so upset about this. Hadn't she been the one to chew him out the other day? Hadn't she been the one to tell her that she was too good for Adrien? So why was she trying to stand up for him now?

"I'm really not in the mood to talk about this right now, Alya." Marinette finally stated, and Alya's bewildered look told her that if she didn't walk out of this conversation now, she wasn't going to hear the end of it, "You guys have a good day shopping. I think I'm just going to go home." before the redhead could say anything, Marinette brushed past her, biting her lower lip as she did. Her and Alya hadn't really had an argument or anything before this, so she wasn't sure how the girl was going to react. Alya apparently clued in that Mari needed space though, because she didn't come running after her. It was probably for the best.

 

\---

 

Marinette slipped into a mall bathroom minutes later, locking herself into a stall and sliding down the wall with a frustrated sigh. She held her burning face in her hands... She should have known this would happen the minute that she got all bitter in that change room. Her insides and face were hot with guilt, and her stomach twisted painfully. She'd royally messed up, all because she was bitter over a boy who clearly just wanted to be friends with her. Bitter over a boy who hadn't even known how badly he'd hurt her. On her hip her purse wiggled, and Tikki's little face peered out at her from in between pastries, huge blue eyes blinking curiously.

"Do you want to talk about it with me?" the little kwami's voice squeaked, and Marinette heaved a heavy sigh.

"Tikki..." she breathed out, looking down at the little bug, "Am I a bad person? For snapping at him? For brushing off Alya?" she rubbed her face tiredly, letting her head drop back against the bathroom door, "Does it make me a bad person for not wanting to deal with this shit anymore? I have Chat Noir… Well, Ladybug has Chat Noir. Can’t I just be happy with that without having to ache over Adrien all the time?"

Tikki was quiet, looking up at Marinette with uncertainty. As the midnight haired girl glanced down, she furrowed her brow. Tikki had that look on her face that told Mari that she wanted to say something, but was holding back.

“Tikki?”

“Marinette….” the little kwami began, averting her large eyes, “There’s probably something I should tell you...” her tiny red paws fumbled together, “I mean, I figured you would have learned it for yourself by now….”

“Figured out what?”

“Well….” Tikki rubbed the back of her little head, antennae bouncing, “You know…. Stuff about….” it didn’t take long for Marinette to put together what Tikki was leaving unsaid.

“Tikki….” Marinette breathed, and the little kwami peered up at her bashfully, “You…. know Chat’s real identity, don’t you….?” the bug wouldn’t look at her, but nodded.

“I didn’t want to say anything, because you were so adamant about keeping each other’s identities a secret...”

The dark haired girl merely nodded in response to the kwami’s answer, turning her eyes up and to the wall across the way from her. Marinette could respect the fact that Tikki hadn’t told her she knew who Chat Noir was, in all honesty. It had been she who had laid down that rule in the first place to protect people from getting hurt. If she and Chat had known each other’s identities from the very beginning, things would have been complicated, wouldn’t they?

But… Why was the little kwami bringing up these sorts of things now?

Again, it didn’t take long for Marinette’s brain to click to what Tikki had been trying to insinuate by bringing up this conversation after what had happened less than an hour ago. 

It didn’t take long for her to recall how many strange coincidences had clicked into her mind when she and Adrien had been together in the study hall. 

It didn’t take long for her heart to jump into her suddenly dry mouth.

“Tikki….. Are you telling me….” her eyes turned down to the little kwami, who was fumbling her paws again, “That… Chat Noir….” she couldn’t finish the sentence, but it wasn’t due to the fact that the information that Tikki was suggesting to her was possibly the most incredible and ridiculous news she’d ever heard.

It was because the door to the bathroom had been blown open, and the stall she was leaning against had rattled so violently it had jolted her forwards onto her face.

The room was buzzing from the sudden extreme volume, or maybe that was just her head? Either way, she needed to get up and do something about the obvious akuma attack that was happening just outside.

“Tikki, Transform me.”

 

\---

 

Ladybug skidded out into the open mall, coughing as a billowing cloud of dust attacked her lungs. Squinting through the debris around her, she could see bystanders outlined through the airborne grime, running frantically. There was screaming all around her; clearly this akuma wasn’t one to be messed with.

Pulling her yo-yo from her hip Ladybug jogged into the chaos, leaping over a demolished mall fountain and over a trembling pair of bystanders. One of said bystanders grabbed at her wrist, and she lurched to a stop, turning to look at the person who grabbed her. Her eyes met with those of her best friend’s, and her heart leapt into her throat.

“Ladybug,” Alya breathed, looking up at her through cracked glasses. She was coated in dust and had cuts across her face, probably from being struck by debris from the fountain. Resting up against Alya’s shoulder was Nino, who had a bloody temple and was trembling weakly, eyes squeezed shut. He looked like an absolute mess, and it twinged her heartstrings. Ladybug looked around, and finding no immediate danger, crouched down to her friends.

“Are you okay? What happened?” she asked, gently touching Alya’s available shoulder. Alya immediately reached up to grip Ladybug’s wrist, holding her tight.

“W-we were going looking for our friends, and there was so much screaming, and the fountain….” Alya was a wreck, trembling harder with each word that slipped from her lips, “Nino… My friend… He pushed me out of harm’s way….” she indicated to the boy who was unconscious against her shoulder, and Ladybug’s heart ached for her the bespectacled boy.

“Did you see where the akuma went?” Ladybug asked anxiously, giving Alya’s shoulder a squeeze. Defeating the akuma would fix everything, even her wounded friends. The faster she got to this monster, the better.

“I…. I did!” Alya gasped, squeezing Ladybug’s wrist again, “It went south, chasing after Chat Noir!” Ladybug’s lip found itself in between her teeth at this information, and she worried it fervently. Of course Chat had already jumped into action.

Looking around at the destruction the akuma had left, however, she knew she had to get to him before he was seriously hurt.

“Stay here. Everything will be okay, Alya.” she smiled at the girl, who weakly smiled back. Moving to stand, Alya gave her arm a tug, and Ladybug’s attention was back on her friend.

“Please… My friend, Marinette… I don’t know where she is, and...” Ladybug’s heart faltered, but she raised her head strongly.

“She’ll be okay, I promise.” with that she gently pulled her arm away, and began running towards the southern part of the mall. 

There was dust scattered everywhere in the air, billowing over broken store signs and toppled displays. Ladybug stifled a cough as she ran, squinting as the debris burned her eyes. The further south in the mall she ran, the more chaos she was met with. Eventually she could hear it; loud explosions, numerous ones.

And Chat Noir’s faint taunting.

Turning a sharp corner into the mall’s food court, she was caught off balance by a blast and stumbled back a few feet, before steadying herself. Coughing and wiping some dust from her eyes, Ladybug took a few steps forwards, squinting as the dust settled.

“My my,” Chat Noir’s voice reached her before he came into her sight, “What an _explosive_ temper we have!” there he was, her boy in black, spinning his staff and posing dramatically on a lunch table. Ladybug’s eyes turned to where the boy was looking, and her eyes settled upon her.

Hair in a wild flaming bun and work uniform warped into brilliant orange armour, the girl that stood before her was giving off a slight glow, her skin burning like embers. She was walking fire, and as Chat Noir leapt into action in her peripheral, the girl’s hands summoned searingly bright orbs. 

Ladybug braced her arms above her face as an orb was thrown, the explosion following causing her feet to skid back a few feet. Squinting again, the lunch table Chat Noir had been standing on was now a pile of rubble. Ladybug’s head swivelled back to the akuma, who Chat Noir was tackling head on, staff meeting glowing fists in rapid succession.

Ladybug decided she was done being a bystander, and leapt into action. Whirling her yo-yo as she charged, she threw it up to a banister, hoisting herself off the ground so she could fling her body towards the flaming being, kicking her legs out to strike the akuma across the face. The flaming girl was thrown across the food court, and Ladybug landed next to her black clad companion, yo-yo clasped tightly in her grip.

“Are you alright?” she asked, turning her eyes up to Chat Noir’s handsome face. The boy greeted her with a smile, but his eyes seemed tired and not quite as energetic as he had been moments ago. She figured she had an inkling of an idea as to why.

“My my, my Lady,” the cat began, and Ladybug just *knew a shitty pun was on the boy’s tongue, “You always knew how to _kick_ off a good fight.” she gave him ‘the look’ and his grin spread just a little wider.

“You’re fine, then, I take it.” Ladybug couldn’t help the deadpan in her voice, and Chat Noir snickered in response. Glowing in the background caught her eye, and she was soon yelling “MOVE!” at the top of her lungs as she lunged at Chat Noir, knocking him to the ground as an explosive orb went flying over their heads, blowing chunks of concrete and tile over them from somewhere in the background.

“We’re having quite the Blowout sale today, kiddies!” the akumatized salesclerk cackled, another orb forming in her palm as Ladybug pushed herself to her knees, leering over at the glowing miss, “It’s take one Miraculous, get another _free_!” Ladybug rolled her eyes. It seems Chat Noir wasn’t the only one with shitty puns today…

“We gotta purify her quick. She’s hurt a lot of people.” Ladybug stated as she pushed herself up, yo-yo still tightly grasped in her hand. Chat was standing as well, staff at the ready. He was eyeing her from the corner of her vision; she’d have a lot to talk to him about later, but right now wasn’t the time. They had to focus.

The saleswoman began tossing her exploding orbs, and Chat Noir and Ladybug bounced apart from each other, gracefully leaping and dodging each toss as the food court was quickly converted to rubble all around them. They were doing perfectly fine.

Perfectly fine, that is, until Chat Noir’s bad luck caught up to him and his ankle caught on an upturned chair. From the corner of her eye, Ladybug watched as the cat went down. She turned as Chat pushed himself up onto his haunches; the akuma was closing in, orb at the ready. Her heart skipped a beat as his name passed through her lips, and his brilliant green eyes turned up to her, shocked...Scared? The glowing bomb was being thrown then; Chat Noir wouldn’t have time to dodge it.

She didn’t even know her body was moving until she was throwing herself in front of him, squeezing her eyes shut as she embraced for impact.

 

\---

 

…. _Ladybug_ ….

Ladybug’s head was pounding, her brain buzzing like a bee’s hive. Everything was black; were her eyes closed? She tried opening them; they felt heavy, almost glued shut.

_Ladybug….please…._

Whose voice was that? What happened? She knew she needed to wake up, needed to…. Do what? The buzzing wouldn’t stop; she couldn’t focus on what she needed to do.

…. _Just….open your eyes…._

Her face felt wet. Was she crying? Was he?.... Who was he, anyways? She was struggling to piece everything together, fill in the numerous blanks that left her buzzing brain numb. Something about a bright light was searing into the side of her skull, trying to tell her what she was missing...

….

Hang on.

She had been fighting an akuma.

 _‘He’_ was Chat Noir.

She’d jumped in front of him.

There’d been pain and light, and then….

Opening her eyes was a struggle, but when she finally did, she was met with the appearance of a blurry figure above her. Judging by the unfocused outline of black and yellow, it was most definitely Chat Noir. Some more wet splashed along her face; he was crying on her. Her hand moved to reach up, wiping some tears off her cheeks. And then it was being clasped tightly.

“Ladybug...” Chat’s breath dusted over face, tickling her eyelashes. It was hard to hear him through all of the buzzing. His hand was holding hers so tightly, and she could feel him trembling beneath her. She blinked a few more times, trying to focus her vision.

“...Chat...” her mouth felt dry. How long had she been out? “The…. Akuma?” he was becoming clearer now, his outline less of a blur and more of a silly kitty. He reached down with his free hand and gently stroked her cheek. It felt pleasant.

“I dealt with her.” he spoke softly, leaning down to gently press his lips to her temple. It stung, but the motion did not go unwanted. “We need to purify it still, my Lady…. Can you…. Can you move?” Ladybug contemplated this.

“I… I don’t know.” she mumbled. She tried. Pushing her free hand back to brace against Chat’s knee (she’d been lying in his lap, so it seemed) she sat up, and the minute she did a wave of nausea washed over her. Chat’s hands were on her instantly as she swayed, desperate not to throw up.

“Don’t move so quickly, bugaboo,” the cat murmured against her ear, holding her gently against him, “You were hit pretty bad…. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a concussion.” she was busy breathing deeply as he said this, calming down her raging stomach.

“...Do you mind helping me?” she asked softly. He didn’t respond verbally, and instead swept her up into his arms, gently cradling her against his strong chest. The sudden movement sent Ladybug’s head spinning, so she clutched onto her partner tightly, tucking her face into the nape of his neck.

He carried her across the obliterated food court, every once in a while stumbling and jolting her in his arms. He eventually stopped, and she turned to peer down at the figure lying at his feet. The akumatized victim looked almost corpse like; her skin was no longer burning, but rather looked more like ashes. Her armoured uniform was in tatters. Her burning bun had been extinguished.

“Chat,” Ladybug gasped, taking in the motionless woman, “What did you _do_ to her?” Chat Noir didn’t say anything, and she turned her eyes up to his face. His jaw was clenched but his eyes looked pained. Something told her this battle had been a lot harder on Chat Noir than she could even begin to imagine.

Chat was kneeling with Ladybug then, shifting so he cradled her with one arm while he reached out, grabbing at a dark, glowing hairpin hidden amongst the ashen grey hair. He placed it in Ladybug’s open palm while he reached for her yo-yo. Holding it for her as she swiped it open, he lifted it up above the hairpin. Ladybug, with more effort than what was usually necessary, cracked the pin in her hands. The akuma that fluttered out flew straight into the awaiting yo-yo above.

The yo-yo was closed, and moments later, a little white butterfly fluttered out.

“Bye bye, petite papillon...” Ladybug murmured as it flew off, the dark purple melting away from the victim next to them. They sat for a little while, before Ladybug’s buzzing brain finally came to some sort of conclusion, “Chat, I...” she looked around, a little too quickly, and had to clutch at the cat’s chest to steady herself, “I didn’t…. Call upon Lucky Charm. I can’t…. I can’t fix everything.” he seemed to notice this too.

“Don’t worry about that right now, bug. You’re hurt.” his voice wavered, and Ladybug’s jaw clenched firmly.

“Chat, there are other people who are worse off right now. I… I have to fix it all, I...”

She was being squeezed against him then, so tight that she felt the air leave her lungs. He was trembling hard against her, and anything she was going to say died on her tongue.

“You….” his voice broke, so did Ladybug’s will, “You were out for _hours_ , Ladybug...” he choked out, and Ladybug’s heart pained with guilt as she realised he was holding back more tears, “I was so scared… That you….” she held him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and gently playing with some of the hair that tickled the back of his neck.

“...I can’t leave all those people suffering...” she whispered against his shaking frame. She got it; he was scared, he was shaken from the thought that he may have lost her. She’d been reckless; heck, she shouldn’t have been so level headed about the fact that she could have died earlier. When she felt less like her brain was filled with angry hornets, she might be more upset with herself. Right now, though….

“Please, Chat. Our friends are hurt out there.” he faltered when she said ‘our’, jerking his head back to look at her through tear misted eyes. She bit at her bottom lip as he stared at her, before he nodded silently.

“Fine, but after… I’m taking you somewhere safe. Okay?” she smiled weakly at this. What a silly kitty.

“Of course, Chaton.”

 

\---

 

‘Somewhere safe’ ended up being her balcony, and Ladybug’s heart leapt into her throat as Chat Noir landed, still holding her tight against his chest. While she was feeling significantly clearer headed, placing her down previously had resulted in her immediate loss of footing, so her leather clad partner had opted to continue carrying her.

The fact that he’d taken her straight home had her brain reeling, but she couldn’t find any words to say. Chat’s face was solemn, so unlike his usual obnoxious and cheeky attitude. He was quietly making his way across her rooftop, his shoes padding softly against the tiles of the balcony. The closer they came to her room, the harder her heart pounded in her ribcage. As he knelt down to reach for the latch to her room, she finally found her voice.

“W-wait!” she gasped out, brain frantically trying to find something to say,“Chat, Marinette’s not home, uh, this--”

“Marinette.” Ladybug’s heart stopped, “It’s okay.” he breathed, and any excuse she had planned on using faded off. He didn’t meet her eyes, but he smiled, “Sorry princess. Curiousity killed the cat.”

“B-but… When? H-how---”

“We’ll worry about that later. Right now you need to rest.”

He was leaning forwards and cracking open the window, and Ladybug’s hand was on his chest again.

“No, Chat, there was silvervine sprayed everywhere, and---”

“Then I’ll hold my breath.” 

The cat slipped down into the room, landing with a slight bounce on her bed. She was being tucked into her blankets, any protests she had falling on deaf ears. Chat Noir was looking so pensive as he busied himself making her comfortable, gently shifting and lifting her as he made her into a Lady-burrito. When he was satisfied that she wasn’t going to be going *anywhere, he turned to look at her.

“You rest. I’ll be watching over you, okay?” he gently brushed some hair from her face, smiling softly at her, “We’ll talk when you wake up.” Ladybug nodded slowly, watching as Chat Noir heaved himself back up and onto her balcony. 

Her body was feeling numb, and her eyelids heavy. Now that she was lying down, no matter how much her brain was reeling over the fact that Chat Noir knew her identity, she couldn’t stay awake. Even as her eyes blurred shut, all she could think about was the pained look on Chat Noir’s face as he watched her through the open window.

 

\---

 

Marinette slipped in and out of consciousness for a short while. When she finally completely came to, the room was fairly dark. The buzzing had stopped in her head but the ache behind her eyes told her that she wasn’t quite out of the woods yet. Bleary eyes glanced over to her side, where she found Tikki, who was looking no better than she was and was snoring softly. Marinette reached over to gently tickle the little bug’s antennae, smiling as Tikki gave a content sigh.

She sat up slowly, forcing down the wave of nausea that rolled over her. Squinting in the dimly lit room, Mari searched around for any signs of Chat Noir. Besides the cat Chat that she witnessed skulking around the bottom of her ladder, the real Chat was nowhere to be found. The window to her balcony had been pulled slightly shut. Leaning forwards carefully, she crawled on all fours to sit under the window. Now closer, she could hear voices, and with curiousity burning in her gut, she stretched her body upwards to peer up and out of the opening.

Marinette’s eyes widened as she was met with the sight of Alya and Nino, who were standing alongside Chat Noir in what appeared to be a quiet, heated discussion. Her heart skipped a beat; yes, Nino knew who she was. Alya? Now that was a whole other can of worms she hadn’t intended on touching at ANY time in the near future.

Their voices were hushed, and Marinette couldn’t help but be curious. Gently, she pushed the window further open. Unfortunately said window creaked, and three pairs of eyes were on her instantly. Chat Noir was the first to react.

“Marinette!” he moved to her quickly, clawed hands quickly finding her shoulders, “Are you feeling well enough to be up?” from over his shoulder, Marinette watched Alya and Nino share a knowing glance, and her brow furrowed.

“Why are they here?” she asked in a voice just a little louder than a whisper. Chat Noir glanced over his shoulder at them, before heaving a gentle sigh.

“Marinette… *Princess,” he sighed, eyes turning back to her, “While we do need to have a private discussion, there area few more… Pressing matters to attend to.” Pressing matters most likely being Alya, who was leering at them from over Chat’s shoulder.

“Guess the bug’s out of the bag, huh.” it wasn’t a question, despite how it was phrased as such. Chat Noir grimaced, but gave a slow nod.

“...Well, best go face the tiger head on.” she sighed out. Chat Noir nodded, and carefully reached down to pull her up and out of the window, once again carrying her. She figured that she going to be carried around for probably the rest of the evening; Chat Noir had been obviously spooked about the events that had happened several hours prior that day. He wasn’t likely to let her out of his sight any time soon.

The cat sat against the balcony ledge with Marinette curled up on his lap, looking up to their friends who sat across the way. 

Looks like it was time to come clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY GUYS I said this one would be out sooner than the last and I LIED! I took forever to write this, forgive me ;~;
> 
> As always big thanks to kali_asleep for pre-reading it for me!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, sorry it's a little on the shorter side!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What happened? Is she okay?” Alya blurted out all too quickly, concern flashing in her eyes. Chat Noir straightened his shoulders, meeting Alya’s honey gaze. He went to look at Nino as well, but the boy wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

"Adrien..."

Chat Noir's body froze up from where he crouched on the ground, his eyes wide as he turned towards Ladybug. She'd said his name, his _real_ name, and just like that, time had slowed. The cat could barely move as he watched Ladybug dart from across the food court, his body sluggish as she darted in between him and the akuma, throwing her arms wide with her back to him. He had just enough time to swivel his body towards her as the orb struck.

Time caught up to them as Ladybug's screams tore through her throat, her body ragdolling and colliding with his own as the two were thrown back by the intensity of the aftershock. Chat had a single moment to wrap his arms around his Lady's limp body as he crashed to the ground, his back taking the brunt of the impact as they landed and skidded along the tiled floor. Chat Noir's head hit the ground with a crack, and for a moment all around him was high pitched whining and unfocused blurs. Blinking out of his stupor he sat up and gasped for air, coughing as his previously empty lungs filled with dust.

"Ladybug, are you alright?" he wheezed out, looking down to the girl in his arms. His heart stopped. She was completely limp, her head lolled to the side against his collarbone. She wasn't moving; there was no sign of life in her at all. "...L-Ladybug?" his voice cracked, and with a swallow, he gave her a little shake. Nothing. He watched her chest for a moment and saw no motions to indicate she was breathing. Fearing the worst, Chat Noir's hands scrambled to her throat, searching for a pulse while his ear dropped to her loosely parted lips. 

A beat passed. 

Nothing.

He swallowed and waited, body wracked with anxious trembles. 

Nothing.

Finally, a faint pulse thrummed under his trembling fingers, and light, shallow breaths began to puff along his dust coated cheeks.

She was still alive.

Chat Noir exhaled a shuddering breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, trying to control his trembling form. Relief didn't last long, however, as a low laugh echoed out through the decimated food court. Suddenly there was only anger, rage that burned so hot in his stomach that he felt close to catching fire. Chat's eyes slowly tore themselves from Ladybug's frail face, rolling up to the glowing akuma that stood a good fifty feet away, hands eerily luminous through the settling dust.

"You...." his voice didn't sound like his own; it was deeper, shaking with unrelenting fury, "You'll pay for what you've done...." Carefully slipping out from Ladybug's limp form, Chat Noir slinked to his feet, swaying in place as he steadied his hammering heart. The cat's chest heaved as he reached for his staff, clawed hand wrapping around cold steel. The dust from the last blow was still hanging in the air. There was only silence between them.

The minute he and the akuma made eye contact, he was on the move. Screaming at the top of his lungs, all of his anger burst forth from his throat as his staff expanded in his palms, and then he was flying, having vaulted himself off the food court's floor and into the air. The akuma took his air time as an opening, and shot two explosive orbs in his direction. He narrowly avoided the glowing balls that struck the ceiling behind him, and snarling ferally, brought his staff down on the woman's shoulder. The action was followed by a sharp crack; her armour chipped under the force of the impact.

The akuma let out a howl of pain and stumbled backwards as Chat tucked and rolled, landing with deadly poise alongside the screaming woman. His staff was at the ready again, and as she turned to lunge at him he dropped and hooked his staff against the back of her kneecaps, bringing her down to the ground. Vibrant spheres at the ready, the akuma threw them one after another in the cat's direction as he tucked his staff and ran. The akuma's bombs were being scattered across the dust bowl that was once a food court, Chat Noir leaping and dodging with ease with every throw. Rounding back on her, Chat's claws gleamed as his palms spread open, ready for some hand to hand combat with the woman who staggered to her feet.

With one swift movement he was on her again, nails coming down along her back and shredding through the orange, metallic fabric that constricted the akuma's burning bodice. Digging into searing flesh that burned through his magical garbs, Chat propelled himself up and over her head, bringing his other hand down along her face, before landing in a squat. The flaming witch was shrieking at the top of her lungs, and instinctively brought her hands up to her face. Chat's glove was smouldering from the heat of her skin, and he snarled, before bouncing out of the way of a sporadically thrown glow-bomb.

This pattern continued for a while in between the two of them; Chat would chip away at her armour, jump back, the akuma would try to hit him with little to no success, repeat. Eventually it got to the point where they were both ragged from fatigue; Chat Noir's leather outfit charred and his face smeared with ash, dust and sweat, the akuma looking less like a flame and more like dying coals. She could barely stand as Chat turned on her, smearing some sweat away from his chin with the back of his hand.

“I’m done playing.” he stated. There was so much malice on his tongue that the _akuma_ visibly trembled at his words. The boy took a heavy step forwards and the akuma shifted back. He was stalking towards her, less like a cat and more like a panther with every footfall. The akuma’s flames were sizzling down to nothing; she was faltering, taking shakey steps backwards as Chat Noir slowly closed the distance between them.

“H--help me...” the burning woman gasped out, yelping as she tripped over the remains of a lunch table and landed on the tiled ground, dust dancing up into the air all around her from the impact, “H-Hawkmoth, please… I-I don’t want this power anymore….” Chat Noir stalked ever closer, his lips pulled into a tight, fine line. Chat Noir raised his fist, stretching it wide as if to summon his dark powers.

Standing over the feeble woman below him, he couldn’t help but have dark thoughts dance their way into his mind. Adrien was a good boy, he was a sweet boy, he was a gentle boy, but…. Every once and again intrusive thoughts would crawl up from the deepest recesses of his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder: what would happen should he use Cataclysm against this woman who’d hurt _his_ Ladybug?

This was the first time he’d ever wanted to have his question answered.

His conscience held him back. As angry, hurt, and tired as he may be, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it without the burden of guilt crushing him. How could he look at himself everyday knowing he may or may not have destroyed another life with his very own hands? How would Plagg react, knowing that he clothed a costume of good across a monster’s flesh?

What would Marinette think of him?

With a slow, steadying breath, Chat Noir leered down at the cowering woman, before lifting a steel toed boot and booting her in the stomach. The akuma let out a wheeze as the wind was knocked from her lungs, before falling limp against the dust coated tiles below. The crack of the tile under her head and the silence that followed after let Chat Noir know that the accursed woman wasn’t likely to be getting up for a long while. With that said and done, he turned to go back to his Lady, who was still unmoving across the food court.

Despite how fatigue clung to his body, he took no time to move to his lady’s side. She was still out cold, her body completely limp as he carefully lifted her head into his lap. Clawed hands found their way through midnight black strands, delicately brushing them away from her dust spattered face. 

Chat heaved a shakey sigh and curled his face close to her own, his nose gently brushing along her forehead. He knew that he couldn’t move his Lady while she was unconscious like this; it could potentially be dangerous to her already poor form. He just needed to wait, make sure she kept breathing, and keep her close.

For her safety and his sanity.

 

\---

 

Chat Noir landed on Marinette’s balcony hours later, his feet weighed down by Ladybug’s form in his arms. Said girl was visibly shaken, and probably not just from the incident that occurred at the mall earlier, either. He couldn’t blame her; her brain was probably racing with hundreds of questions for him. Now wasn’t the time to talk about any of that, though. She needed rest.

The cat padded across the rooftop, and with every step Ladybug emanated more and more panic. It was rolling off of her in waves, and in her semi-concussed state she was not hiding it particularly well. Chat simply held her closer, crouching to open the window to her bed.

“W-Wait!”

Chat paused, peering down at the girl whose voice had come out barely more than a squeak. She was flustering in her classic Marinette fashion, and it was interesting seeing it while she was garbed in red as opposed to her usual pink white and grey. He honestly should have seen the connection sooner. She was babbling as she usually did when she was frantic, and his heart wavered.

“Marinette, it’s okay...” his voice was barely more than a breath, but it was enough to smother out the girl’s panicked words. She was staring up at him in his peripheral but he couldn’t look her in the eye; he was feeling as raw as if he’d been inhaling silvervine all morning. He’d already cried on her earlier as well.

Meeting those blue eyes would not be a good idea if he wanted to keep strong for the both of them.

He was opening the window then, Ladybug babbling in his arms. He didn’t care if there was silvervine sprayed about, he couldn’t possibly get any more emotional than he was at this point in time. All the same he took in a long breath of air and held it as he ducked them both inside the window, gently landing on Marinette’s soft bed.

It took no time for him to nestle the petite girl in her blankets, making sure to tuck her in securely so she wouldn’t roll around and possibly injure herself further. She was still staring at him with those brilliant blue eyes of hers, and just passing his eyes over her was enough to falter his heart beat. She didn’t understand how close he’d been to losing her, how he _couldn’t_ lose another loved one in his life. He could take thousands of hits no problem. 

He was expendable. She wasn’t.

When he finally did look at her, he had to choke back the tears that threatened to build in his eyes. She looked so much smaller, so much more human than she ever had. So…. Marinette. He swallowed back the swelling emotion in his throat and forced a gentle smile on his lips.

“You rest. I’ll be watching over you, okay?” Chat reached out, tucking his claws into his palm as he swept some wayward bangs from Ladybug’s face, “We’ll talk when you wake up.” his Lady gave him a gentle nod, and he took that as a good time to excuse himself while she rested up. The lanky boy hauled himself up and out of the window again, and watched and waited until his Lady finally lulled into sleep before he moved away, heaving a long sigh as he leaned up against the wall he’d recently smashed pots from.

One flash of green later, Adrien caught a weakened Plagg in his waiting palm. The little black cat looked a lot more tired than he usually would, and Adrien gave him a soft smile. The fight with the akuma earlier had been draining for the both of them, it seemed.

“You okay there, sourpuss?” the blond asked, using his free hand to gently rub the cat in between his little black ears. Plagg gave a tired groan in response, leaning up into the affections with a sleepy little sigh.

“...I was worried about you for a bit there,” the cat mumbled, and Adrien’s finger paused.

“Worried? About me?” he repeated, quirking a brow, “That was a pretty intense battle,” he shrugged, “Who’d have thought Hawkmoth would make an akuma that took blowout sales seriously?” he was hoping to get a little chuckle out of his companion.

“Adrien.” he did not.

“...It all turned out okay. She’s safe now. We’re all safe.” He knew very well that he was going to get a talking to by the little kwami; he honestly wasn’t up for it. All he wanted was to crawl into that bed below next to Marinette’s sleeping frame, curl around her and rest the day away. That wasn’t very likely to happen, though.

“Adrien,” Plagg began again, a little paw curling around the boy’s floating hand to hold it close, “You were thinking some pretty dark things there, kid,” Adrien nodded mutely, “The power of destruction is not something that just anybody can manage. Chat Noir has to be the embodiment of positivity in order to counteract that darkness, otherwise...” the little cat didn’t need to continue for Adrien to understand where he was going with this. The blond gave a small nod and breathed a soft sigh.

“I’m sorry,” he began, stroking Plagg’s tiny head once more, “It… It won’t happen again.” was there anything else to say? He wasn’t sure. The silence would be good for now, so that both of them could rest their minds.

Except it wasn’t silent.

Adrien’s head perked up to the sound of a happy jingle dancing it’s way up from the partially open window to Marinette’s room. Tucking Plagg into his inner shirt pocket, the boy peered down into the room. Ladybug’s transformation had worn off, leaving her in her in her civilian garb alongside a tuckered out little red bug who, Adrien surmised, was Tikki. The song ended and all was quiet again, before it bounced back to life, singing loudly in the otherwise silent room. 

Adrien slipped down onto Marinette’s bed, slipping a hand under the covers to grope around for the source of the sound. When his hand latched around Marinette’s purse, he yanked out her phone, wincing as the once semi-muffled tone rang out clearly in the darkened room. Not wanting to wake Marinette (it didn’t look like anything could wake the poor girl), Adrien hauled himself back out of the window, holding the phone in his hands. Before deciding to answer he took a peak at the caller ID, and felt himself pale.

Alya.

“Are you gonna answer that damned thing, or are you gonna keep letting it scream like that?” Plagg’s sleepy voice mumbled from in his pocket, and Adrien swallowed. He should just shut it off, but to be perfectly honest, he’d forgotten about the friends they’d left at the mall, and he was sure that Alya atleast was having a conniption fit over not knowing where the two of them went, especially after such a violent akuma attack. The phone stopped ringing again, briefly, before it began screaming once more. Adrien didn’t hesitate to slide it to answer this time.

“WHERE ARE YOU?!?” the blond winced away as Alya’s voice blared out through Marinette’s phone speaker, and he nearly fumbled the phone, holding it up to his ear while his face burned.

“Alya, calm down!” he whispered, wincing once more as he heard Marinette groan from where she slept. Maybe she couldn’t sleep through anything, after all.

“WHO IS THIS? WHERE’S MARINETTE?! WHAT---”

“Alya!” Adrien’s voice came out sharper than he’d hoped, but it managed to stop the girl from screaming on the other end of the phone, “Alya, relax, please. Marinette’s safe at home. She just got to sleep.” he breathed, pausing at the sudden silence that consumed the other side of the phone call.

“...Who is this?” Alya’s voice croaked out again. Now that she wasn’t screaming she sounded tired. He couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t seen where they’d been when the akuma had attacked; for all he knew they could have been in the thick of it during the initial explosions. Ladybug had mentioned they’d been hurt, hadn’t she?

“It’s uh,” his voice broke a little, “Chat Noir?” he wasn’t sure why it came out as a question, it wasn’t a lie after all. The silence on the other end of the line dragged out again, before he heard Alya gently clear her throat.

“Chat Noir?” she echoed, and even though she wasn’t there, he found himself nodding, “You’re with Marinette?”

“Uh yes, I just got her home,” he could practically feel her leering through the phone, and continued, “She uh, got into the thick of the akuma battle accidentally and...” think Adrien, think, “Ladybug decided it was best I brought her here.”

“....Really now.” he did not like that tone in her voice. 

“Yes, so, she’s safe, but she’s uh… Resting right now, so I will let her know you called and-”

“We’re coming over.” Adrien faltered at Alya’s hard tone, and gave a tired sigh.

“We?”

“Nino and I. We are coming over right now and we intend to have some words with you, _Mr. Noir,_ ” Adrien bit the inside of his cheek, “You better be there when we arrive. Do you understand?” the blond felt his heart deflate a little. He wanted a heart to heart with Marinette. He was not up to dealing with the tiger.It didn’t seem like he’d have much choice in the matter; if Alya’s voice was any indication, she knew something, or perhaps, everything going on in this situation, and he was going to get an earful.

“Understood.” he heaved out, and ended the call before Alya could get another word in. The blond ran a hand through his toussled locks and down his face, fatigue hitting him like a wall. In his pocket Plagg squirmed, letting out an indignant groan. Clearly the little cat had heard the conversation as well, and was looking as forwards to dealing with Alya as he was.

“Well Plagg, best we get you some cheese then,” Adrien sighed out, giving the inner lining of his shirt a gentle pat, “Our day is far from over.”

 

\---

 

Alya and Nino promptly arrived at Marinette’s home a couple hours after their conversation as the sun was beginning it’s evening descent, and Chat Noir was ready for them. They had been walking and chatting on their way towards the bakery until his looming shadow caught Alya’s eye. They paused just outside the store doors, Alya peering up at him expectantly; Marinette’s parents, of course, didn’t even know their daughter had returned home, let alone had a guest. Looks like he’d have to do some grunt work. With a soft sigh he took a step off the balcony, falling to land with grace before an irritable looking Alya and a surprised Nino.It took no time for Chat to vault the two up to Marinette’s balcony (Nino was less comfortable being in Chat’s grasp than Alya was), and then they were three people, hanging out on a roof.

“What happened? Is she okay?” Alya blurted out all too quickly, concern flashing in her eyes. Chat Noir straightened his shoulders, meeting Alya’s honey gaze. He went to look at Nino as well, but the boy wouldn’t make eye contact with him. Truth be told, he didn’t blame him whatsoever. Nino probably had had no intention of returning to this balcony any time soon, had it not been for Marinette’s disappearance.

“Well...” Chat Noir began, running over the fib he’d practiced ahead of time during the time he’d had waiting for the two to arrive, “She went looking for Ladybug when I went charging after the akuma,” the boy shifted his hands to his hips and dropped his gaze, Alya’s eyes boring into the side of his head, “When they both arrived, Marinette got caught in the crossfire. Ladybug’s lucky charm healed the heavy damage but she was still quite fatigued.”

There was a brief pause between them, before Alya quirked a brow, “...But we saw Ladybug. And Marinette had ran off in the same direction we’d been heading.” Alya looked to Nino, who nodded in response, and Chat chewed the inside of his cheek.

“You probably just missed her in all of the chaos.” Another brief pause, “There was a lot of people darting around me when I was chasing the akuma.” the boy held his breath as Alya contemplated this. She seemed to accept it as a reasonable answer, however, as she heaved a heavy sigh and gave a small nod to herself.

“It was pretty crazy,” she sighed out, shaking her red locks from side to side, “I’m amazed we met up with Ladybug at all when Nino was out.” Chat Noir wasn’t sure what to say, so he simply nodded in reply, “She did say she’d be okay… Ladybug, I mean. Guess she can only do so much when Marinette is throwing herself in harm’s way all of the time. And our friend Adrien? Adrien Agreste? Did you see him anywhere?” Chat Noir hesitated, before feigning contemplation.

“The young Agreste boy? Ah, yes!” he chimed out, hoping he looked moderately convincing, “I believe I saw him picked up by a vehicle not too long after the akuma attack began. His driver had probably been waiting nearby and scooped him up the minute he could,” Chat gave a little shrug, “He’s probably at home resting right about now.” Either way, had ‘Adrien’ been in any danger, Ladybug’s miraculous would have fixed the problem. The redhead nodded as she thought this through. Alya seemed satisfied, if only for a brief moment, so Chat figured they were done with the conversation. There was, however, a silence that dragged on shortly thereafter, and Alya’s face twisted from that of solemn understanding to curiousity.

“So.” Alya began again after their momentary silence, arms folding across her generous bosom as she turned a pointed look on Chat. He couldn’t help but squirm under her all knowing leer; getting under his skin and seeping fear into his core was something she was apparently quite skilled at.

“So.” Chat echoed back, rubbing the back of his neck. Where more did she want from him? Shouldn’t she be satisfied knowing Marinette was safe? Was she going to keep ask questions? The silence in the air that followed his curt response was thick and deafening, and to be perfectly honest, unbarable. What more could the redhead want from him at this point?

“You gonna tell me how long you’ve been making out with my bestie?” Alya finally asked, and Chat sputtered. Had she really said that? He had figured she knew their identities. After all, Alya was a smart little cookie most of the time. So this question coming out of the blue was, well...

“Uh… What?” he knew he sounded stupid, yes, but what else could he say? It had just been so left field for what he was expecting.

“I’m asking,” Alya began again, clearing her throat and tipping her head up, “How long you’ve been seeing Marinette,” when he failed to respond right away, Alya glared harder, and he swallowed, “It’s you, right? The one she was talking about. The friend who liked her for so long but she didn’t reciprocate his feelings.”

“Um, well...” Marinette had said that? His princess, his _lady_? When he thought about it, it couldn’t be anyone BUT him, so he gave a curt little nod, “....Yes. That’s uh, that’s me.” once again, silence followed his words, and the air felt tense and heavy. Alya hadn’t taken her eyes off of him once. He kept anxiously looking to Nino as if the boy would magically know it was Adrien under the mask and he’d help a brother out. Nino refused to make eye contact with either of them and had busied himself with watching a pigeon on the adjacent rooftop.

“So,” Alya began again, and Chat’s eyes fell back on her, “ _You’re_ the one who left all those marks on her, then?” the cat blinked a few times. Marks? What marks?

….Oh.

The bruises.

That were _all over her._

...Shit.

“Um well, I wouldn’t say they’re….” Alya looked ready to murder, “ _All_ from me,” he swallowed a dry lump in his throat, “I mean, Marinette is clumsy, you know that!” was he trying to laugh this off? Yes, yes he was. Was Alya buying it?

Judging by the way she narrowed her eyes, no. No she was not.

“Look, Alya,” the boy fumbled out, breaking into a cold sweat as he put his hands up defensively in front of him, “I am, by _no_ means, abusing Marinette,” he shook his head from side to side to further the ‘no’ point, “She’s really important to me! She always has been! Even before I knew---,” the cat stopped himself before he got too ahead of himself and slipped something about Marinette that he ought not to; Alya quirked a brow, “Uh….E-even when she wouldn’t see me as a potential love, I’ve always cared for her. Honest.”

“Is that why you showed up on her balcony last night and pushed your tongue down her throat?” Nino’s voice perked up, and Chat gave his best buddy the most incredulous look. Really? Yes, he knew he’d accidentally made out with his best bud, but COME ON. It was an accident! No need to throw him under the bus like that! Or rather, throw him to the tiger….

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Alya’s voice broke out, and Chat realised Nino may or may not have just gotten his best friend murdered. He couldn’t even bring himself to look her in the eye. If he made eye contact, there was a high probability she’d throw him off the roof or something.

“I… Those were...” oh geez, way to sound convincing there kitty, “Special circumstances that would be… _Difficult_ to explain,” the blond babbled out, his clawed hands fumbling together, “I, uh… That was an accident. It really was. Just an accident.” peering up quickly at his friends, neither looked particularly convinced.

“So you _Force_ yourself on her,” Chat flinched, “ _Bruised_ her to the point she had to layer up,” his kitty ears flattened against his head dejectedly, “ _Abused_ the fact she’d had her heart broken and took _advantage_ of that,” okay, now she was just twisting information, “And now you can’t give us a straight answer for anything?” sometimes this girl’s protective nature over Marinette was astounding.

Astoundingly painful.

“W-wait, you don’t….” a=Augh, how could he explain this without giving away Marinette’s little secret? “It’s not like that, it’s not.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with his lack of words, “There’s things happening that you don’t know, that you don’t get. It’s not all surface stuff.” he was failing to explain things, failing hard. He looked to Nino again, despite the other boy having failed him already. Nino had nothing to say. Well, at least he hadn’t told Alya Mari’s secret, right? He was being a good friend, technically speaking. He didn’t know it was Adrien under the mask. It was probably for the best anyways.

“Well maybe I should go wake up Marinette and ask her what this is all about then, hm?” Alya snapped at him, clearly _very_ irritated, “Maybe she’d be able to string more than a few stupid sounding words together, hm?”

“You can’t!” he shouted, a little louder than intended. Alya quirked a brow, and he felt his cheeks burn, “She… She really needs her rest.” because that sounded convincing.

“Nino was healed by Ladybug’s lucky charm, so why wouldn’t Marinette have been?” Alya retorted, and Chat gnawed his inner cheek until it tasted raw, “Unless there’s something that happened _after the fact_ that you’re failing to mention? Hmmmm?”

“I’m _not_ abusing my---” girlfriend? Is that the word he wanted to go with, without his lady’s permission? “---My dear princess, okay?!” did he sound a little testy? Probably. He was having a very, very rough go today. He just wanted his friends to stop interrogating him, for Pete’s sake. He also wanted to sleep. He could feel Plagg was desperate for rest as well, the cat’s conscience itching at the back of his mind, probably making him even more irritable.

“Well _someone’s_ getting very defensive about this, now isn’t he?” Alya seemed to be enjoying his pain at this point, and Chat groaned indignantly.

“Look, you should probably get going. Marinette needs her rest and I have some things to do,” the blond muttered ruffling a hand through his unruly blond hair, “I’m sure you have better things to do than bother your friendly neighbourhood supercat.” he moved to reach for the staff strapped to his back, but hesitated at the sound of a low creak from behind. Whipping around, Chat stared hard at the sleepy looking midnight haired girl that was quietly peeking out at the group.

“Marinette!” his voice cracked ever so slightly as he rushed to the girl, clawed hands finding their way around his lady’s petite shoulders and cupping them gently, “Are you feeling well enough to be up?” she should be resting, she had had a rough day. He wanted to tuck her back into bed and make her sleep some more, but he couldn’t catch her eye. Her line of sight was instead over his shoulder, curious and worrisome.

“Why are they here??” she hissed, and Chat gave a tired sigh, thumbs gently stroking her shoulders. The blond peered his head over his shoulder towards Alya and Nino; Nino was all concern as he peered past Chat’s shoulder to Marinette’s tired little face. Alya? Alya’s face clearly stated she wanted one thing: answers. The cat heaved another sigh, turning back to Marinette’s sleepy eyes. The last thing she should have to be dealing with was her friend’s interrogations, but… Judging from Alya’s leering, she wasn’t to be budged.

She was more notorious a foe than even Papillon.

“Marinette…. _Princess…._ ” her nickname was heavily stressed on his tongue, not wanting to clue the leering red head behind him to Marinette’s secrets, “While we do need to have a private discussion, there are a few more…” he chewed the inside of his cheek in frustration, “...Pressing matters to attend to.” Matters like getting her friends off the roof so Marinette could rest again. Him as well. He _really_ needed a nap.

“Guess the bug’s out of the bag, huh.” Marinette asked, face deadpan. Chat scrunched up his face, unsure how to answer. Their ‘relationship’? Yes. Her identity? He wasn’t one hundred percent on that. He decided to just nod, grimacing over their situation, “...Well, best go face the tiger head on.” with her permission, Chat Noir carefully lifted the petite brunette into his arms, holding her close as he walked her towards their companions. She could still be unsteady on her feet and a little woozy for all he knew; it was best to keep her as close as possible, where he knew she’d be safe. And while she didn’t seem one hundred percent confident being carried around like a princess, he was absolutely certain that this was what she needed. He settled himself against a ledge and carefully rested his lady on his lap, hands gently clasping around her waist to keep her steady on his leather clad thighs.

Silence permeated the air around them. Chat Noir peered down at Marinette, who in turn had her eyes locked with Alya’s, and Nino? Nino was still looking at that goddamn pidgeon. The dim light of the setting sun glowed warmly all around them, despite the quickly declining temperature. Chat Noir wasn’t sure what to say, he wasn’t sure what there was to talk about at this point. Marinette finally cleared her throat, tucking some falling hairs behind an ear.

“Alya, I...”

“Marinette, I’m not gonna lie,” Alya began with a sharp jerk of her chin, “You scared me half to death when you ran off on me!” Marinette was stiff in Chat’s arms; he wished he could nestle his face in that midnight hair and wish this whole situation away but he couldn’t. Alya folded her arms across her generous bosom, eyeing down the petite girl in his arms, who visibly cowered under the scrutinous gaze, “You bicker with a friend, you run off, an akuma that _blows things up_ rears it’s ugly head, and where are you?!?” Marinette opened her mouth; Alya cut her off, “GONE! Gone is where you were! Do you realise how frantic we were?!? No you, no Adrien…. You could have been splattered on a wall and we’d have had no clue!”

“I’m sorry Alya, I...”

“You ALWAYS disappear when danger shows up!” Alya raged, throwing her hands up in the air, “Every time there’s a goddamn monster around, you’re nowhere to be seen! Your parents, myself, Nino… Heck even _Adrien!_ Do you think we don’t notice when you run off?” Marinette was looking pale, and Chat squeezed her tighter, leather ears flattening against his head as the urge to run off with Mari and away from all this blame and noise erupted in his chest. “And then he,” a blaming finger jerked in Chat’s direction, “Tells me that you ran into the fight and were caught in the crossfire! You have to take responsibility for your actions! What the hell is going on?!”

There was a moment of deadly silence as the intensity on the roof turned up to eleven. Even Nino had focused in on the conversation, looking visibly shaken. Marinette looked at a loss of words, and Chat didn’t blame her; there was no viable answer to her disappearances. There was no other reason behind it besides the one big secret the girl had to keep. After all, if Ladybug didn’t make an appearance, then the akuma wouldn’t be quelled, and Paris would be under Papillon’s thumb. Chat grit his teeth, and opened his mouth to defend the girl in his arms.

“You’re right.” Marinette’s voice cut despite the waver, silencing Chat Noir’s burning tongue, “I just, charge in head first. I don’t ever think about...” she took in a shuddering breath, Chat guessed she was holding back tears, “You, or Nino, or… Adrien...” the cat boy swallowed dryly at the hurt that hung in his name, “I just…. I want to help people, and…. I know I can do it, but….” Chat could do nothing for the tired girl in his arms as her body trembled, he could only look on to the eerily silent Alya and the nervous Nino, “I can’t explain it. I can’t… It’s not that simple.” she sounded frustrated with herself and she hid her face in her hands. Marinette was silent for a beat.

Long enough to get her head back in the game.

“...Alya,” her voice sounded stronger, more composed, more _Ladybug_. It sent shivers down the leather clad boy’s body, “I… I really should have told you from the get go.” she breathed out a calming breath, her body de-tensing slowly as she focused on her courage. Chat could only think of her as one thing: _amazing_. “The reason I go missing from time to time, the reason I’m always late for classes and I cancel our plans...” here it came, the confession: “Chat Noir… He and I… We’re both….”

“Well,” Alya interjected with a sigh, dropping her death gaze to give a gentle shrug, “I can see why you told me that it was complicated, that’s for sure.” Marinette faltered, and Chat blinked down at her curiously. The girl looked shocked and confused. When she didn’t reply right away, the blond gave the girl a gentle nudge in his arms, which helped snap her back to reality.

“...What?” Marinette asked stupidly, and despite everything from earlier, Chat couldn’t help but snicker a little. She was so precious, this girl.

“You.” Alya pointed to Marinette. “Him.” She pointed a finger towards Chat, who blinked in response, “You couldn’t have told me even if you wanted to, huh?” Mari opened her mouth to speak, but Alya wasn’t finished, “I mean, you can’t exactly going around telling everyone you’ve been dating a _superhero_ , now can you?” Alya shrugged again, more nonchalant this time, “Truth be told, I’m amazed you even _looked_ in Adrien’s direction while Paris’ _finest_ was leaping from building to building, and straight into your heart...”

“I….. Uh….” Chat could tell that Marinette had most definitely not thought the conversation would have headed in this direction, so, being the gentleman he was (tired or not), he decided to try and steer the conversation.

“It’s true,” the cat boy chimed in over Marinette’s head, catching Alya’s eye as he felt his usual cheekiness spring forth through his fatigue, “I am quite the catch,” he cooed, Marinette’s eye turning on him as he waggled a brow in feign seduction, “You could say that I’m...” Marinette was glaring before he even finished the sentence, and it made him feel like he was back to his old self, “ _The cat’s meow_.”

If looks could kill Adrien would have been dead one thousand times over and he damn well knew it.

They didn’t though, despite how hard his lady was trying.

While Marinette didn’t find his pun particularly funny, he did get a snicker out of Alya, and a hint of a smile out of Nino, despite the fact that the boy wouldn’t make eye contact with him. Chat Noir took this as a win, even if just a small one. It didn’t change the fact that Marinette was covered in bruises and he hadn’t given Alya a straight answer for them. It definitely didn’t change how Chat Noir had pushed his tongue down his bestie’s throat and now he was getting the cold shoulder. 

Still, he’d take baby steps over standing still.

“Alright, Chat Noir,” Alya chuckled out again, shaking her head as her hands found her hips, “You were right, this girl of ours is definitely not all with us and needs her rest,” she hooked an arm around Nino’s shoulder, yanking him close with an easy going smile, “Don’t think this means that either of you are out of the hot box yet.” she warned, pointing a finger at both of them, “...But before I tell you off more both of you should get some rest. Chat, you literally look like the walking dead.” Chat frowned at her, “And Marinette,” Alya smiled sweetly, “You’ll be looking back to your usual pretty self by sunrise.”

 

\---

 

After delivering Alya and Nino back outside the bakery, Chat Noir quietly made his way back to Marinette’s room. He found her sitting on her bed, an inky black cat stretched out over her lap and a little red bug fast asleep atop her hair. Seeing as the door had been left open, he assumed that it had meant he was invited in. Quietly closing the door behind him, the blond slunk onto the bed, curling his knees up into himself as he watched his princess gently tickle the length of cat Chat Noir’s chin. Despite all that had happened today, and how tired he was, he found all of this very peaceful. 

He wished that it could always be like this; quiet.

He watched the midnight haired girl for a while in said quiet as she gently tickled the purring cat stretched along her thighs, his paws kneading the air fervently as Marinette paid him affections. He wished it was him in her lap, being gently, sweetly loved in this calm. His body ached for him to rest his weary head and shut his sore eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Plagg was fading on him, as desperate for rest as he was. He didn’t want to scare the girl next to him or change anything about the here and now, though. Everything was in balance at this exact moment.

“...When did you find out?” when the words left her mouth they were soft, and had it not been for his enhanced hearing, Chat definitely would have missed them. He watched Marinette rub gentle circles in the space between cat Chat’s eyes, hypnotic and calming.

“Yesterday,” he breathed in response, watching longingly as Marinette’s hands trailed from cat Chat’s silky forehead all the way down to the base of his tail and repeated in slow, languid motions, “I…. I might have followed you home.”

“Figures,” Marinette snorted, but didn’t raise her eyes to look at the boy next to her, “Seems like you _were_ a Peeping Tom all along.” Chat breathed a soft chuckle.

“Sorry, but you know how it is,” they made eye contact, soft, warm, “Curiousity killed the cat after all.” Mari rolled her eyes, but she smiled that teasing smile that was so Ladybug, so Marinette, so…. Perfect. He breathed in the sweet silence for a moment, savouring the serenity, “And you?”

“This morning, after our...” Marinette’s fingers found cat Chat’s tummy and the cat stretched out with a low rumbling purr, “...Well after I screamed at you.” Chat Noir blinked curiously at her, peering over his knees through sleepy eyes, “Tikki accidentally let it slip.” she gestured up to the sleeping kwami with her free hand, and Chat Noir sighed.

“Well, looks like we weren’t able to keep our identities a secret for as long as someone had hoped, eh, princess?” his eyes slid shut as he rested his face against a smooth leather covered knee, the fabric cool despite being wrapped tightly around his skin, “...I’m sorry. I know it… Wasn’t how you wanted it to be.”

“It was inevitable, really.” She replied, “It was dumb of me to think it was a good idea to keep secrets from one another. I’m sorry, Chat. It must have been hard on you.” Chat shook his head, not opening his eyes as cat Chat’s purr drifted through the silence between them. He felt the bed shift as Marinette moved herself, but he stayed as he was. “Will you...” an eye peered open at her, and his heart paused at her sudden proximity to his face, “...Let me see you?”

“Of course, my lady.” The command was as easy to follow for him as it was to breathe, and in a flash of green he was just Adrien, tired eyes, flushed cheeks, and wrinkled clothes. Plagg tumbled to the bed with an exasperated groan, spooking cat Chat Noir up and off the loft bed. Marinette didn’t even spare the cat a glance; her eyes were filled with him, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Wow...” she breathed, the exhale hot against his face. A small hand reached towards him, slow and hesitant, before her fingers met the skin of his cheek; he melted into her touch, “It’s hard to believe it was actually you under there...” she sounded awed, and he chuckled sleepily.

“I was thinking the same thing, princess.” he murmured out, gently nuzzling into the warmth of her palm, “I’m glad it’s you.” It wasn’t a lie; Marinette was his perfect Ladybug. They sat for a while like this, Marinette’s thumb gently rubbing soft circles along his cheekbone. Had he been in his cat suit, he knew very well that he would be purring up a storm, just as the skulking cat at the bottom of the loft had been doing mere minutes before. Adrien felt like falling asleep then and there, Marinette’s loving ministrations soothing him into a lull.

“So….” Marinette’s breath gently puffed over his face again, and his eyes tiredly slid open once more, “The… The girl you’d been um, you had talked about on…. That day...” Marinette was looking flushed, fumbling over her words as she had done so often before. Adrien couldn’t help but breathe out a chuckle.

“It was you,” he murmured, and her thumb stopped stroking his cheek, “It was always you. Ladybug, Marinette…. How could I not have noticed? You guys are one and the same.” The quiet that followed brought his eyes up to the midnight haired girl’s face, and he stopped breathing. She looked ethereal in that moment, sapphire eyes wide, face flushed and lips parted ever so slightly. When he thought back, he’d most definitely seen this face in the past.

It was on a certain rainy day underneath a black umbrella.

Swallowing numbly, he sat up from his curled position, catching her hand against his cheek and keeping it there. He must have looked like a moron, mouth gaping open in awe at her subtle beauty. Time could have stopped for all he’d known, but all that mattered was that she was here, looking at him in the same way he felt about her. Adrien’s eyes escaped the deep blue for a mere moment, long enough to trace down the curve of her cheek to those sweet petal pink lips. He licked his own habitually, swallowing at the hard knot in his throat, before his eyes made their way back to hers. She’d been staring at his lips too, and had snapped her eyes back to his a minute later. Her lips pursed. He reached out to touch her cheek as well. 

She didn’t falter.

“May I….” Adrien swallowed again, his tongue suddenly dry in his mouth, “May I kiss you?” her eyes didn’t leave his, and a wave of panic pulsed over him, “I mean, if me looking like this is uh, too new, or…. If you want the mask back on...”

“No!” two voices stated in unison; one in the form of a gasp from Marinette’s silky lips, and the other as a groan from a tuckered out Plagg, left forgotten lying face down on the bad. The two teens flushed, and Marinette gave a soft giggle.

“I, I mean...” she gushed, face turning rosey almost instantly, “I feel like this is a dream, or I’m still dizzy from earlier, or….” He smiled softly, and leaned forwards, gently brushing their lips together. In or out of the masks, so it seemed, didn’t change the flooding sensation of bliss that washed over his heart when he kissed her. It was so familiar; the gentle pout of her lower lip, the soft gasp that escaped from her when he leaned in to kiss her again, the shudder that enveloped his entire body when her tongue gently flicked across his lower lip when she licked her own lips as they parted mere centimeters from one another.

“Trust me, you’re not dreaming.” he breathed against her, both hands now snaking up into her loosened hair, gently massaging her scalp. She sighed blissfully, leaning her forehead against his, “Once more?” he asked, green eyes gleaming hopefully. She smiled and nodded, pressing their lips together again, short, chaste, but still as sweet and as passionate as it ever could be.

“...Do you want to rest here a while?” she asked shyly after pulling away once more, “Alya was right, you look like the living dead.” he snorted in response, but a smile flicked across his lips.

“There’s nothing I’d like more.” Adrien’s voice held no seductive tones, no sarcasm, just pure honesty and heavy underlying fatigue. Marinette nodded and very gently, with soft coaxing from small hands, pulled him down to lie next to her on the bed. Adrien took no time to curl into Marinette’s welcoming chest, pressing his face into her collar bone. He had every intention of being the one to hold her later, but right now… He wanted to be cuddled. Marinette picked up on this, thankfully, and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her face into the top of his head. As if they weren’t close enough, Marinette’s leg gently hooked around Adrien’s hip, snugging their bodies together. He wasn’t all there as she lifted a blanket over both of them, he was barely awake as she whispered soft nothings against the top of his head.

She was safe, with him, and they both slept deeply.

 

\---

 

Sun streaming through the window above them brought Adrien out of his resting state, and he breathed out a sleepy exhale as he nuzzled up against Marinette’s chest, wanting nothing more to sleep longer. Except he couldn’t. Adrien’s eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, eyes flicking to take everything in.

He’d stayed at Marinette’s all night. He’d slept curled up in her arms. It was only supposed to be a short nap. It was sunny out.

He hadn’t told anyone that he’d been staying out.

Cursing softly as to not wake up Marinette, who was out cold (she slept like a corpse, really), Adrien began shuffling around the bed, searching for his phone. Finding it tucked down near Marinette’s ankle (how it had gotten there was beyond him), he flipped it open. Two missed calls from Alya, five from Nino, eight from his driver, seventeen from Nathalie.

One missed call from his father.

Adrien’s heart stuttered to a halt. His father had called for him. His _father_. If he didn’t come up with a viable excuse, and fast, he would never be allowed out of the house ever again. They’d put security cameras up, bolt and bar his windows, assign him a 24 hour bodyguard… While some of these things seemed a little blown out of proportion, Adrien was absolutely positive that they were still a likelihood. With a swallow he looked around for Plagg, finding his little kwami curled around Tikki in a similar way he’d been sleeping against Marinette.

“Plagg,” he whispered, prodding the tiny cat’s chubby little cheek, “Get up, we gotta go!” the cat growled and a tiny paw swatted away Adrien’s finger. He knew he’d regret it if he forced Plagg into the ring while the cat was still sleeping, but at this point he didn’t really have a choice. He was just about to summon his transformation when a soft groan stirred beside him.

“Mmm… Adrien?” Marinette’s voice was deep from sleep, and she rubbed her eyes slowly as she began to wake.

“Marinette,” he breathed, swallowing anxiously, “I have to go. It’s morning.” Marinette blinked slowly a few times, before the realisation hit her. Eyes flying wide, she finally met his stare, mouth falling open.

“You’re still here.”

“Yes.”

“You slept over last night.”

“Yep.”

“I had a boy in my bed.”

“Yeah.”

“Adrien Agreste. In my bed.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“...You didn’t go home.”

“Yeah, no.”

 

“Your dad is going to _kill_ you.”

“You better believe it.”

“Then what are you still sitting here for?!” Marinette gasped out, throwing her hands in the air as she verbally exploded. It was enough to jolt both sleeping kwamis out of their rest, although Plagg less so. If anything he just looked pissed he was woken up. Marinette scrambled out of bed, stumbling in her sheets as she went to yank open her window, “Go, go, go! Transform! Out!” she shrieked, yanking Adrien by his dishevelled shirt as she shoved him towards the window.

A knock on the trapdoor to her room had them both freezing in place, Adrien’s heart lurching into his chest. Silence. Another soft knock. Marinette pressed a finger to her lip, urging a hush, and scooping and pressing Plagg into Adrien’s fingers, forced him up and out of the window above. Adrien shared one last look over his shoulder at the girl’s sleep tousled locks, her flushed cheeks, and her crumpled clothing, and swooped down into the window to place one last peck on her forehead before the doorway closed. Adrien made sure he was well hidden before forcing a sleepy and irritable Plagg into the ring.

He was off.

Bounding as quickly as he could from rooftop to rooftop and attempting to avoid as many prying eyes as possible, Chat Noir was filled with a sense of foreboding as he neared the Agreste Manor. Would his father be furious with him? Would he be locked away forever? Would he return to his bedroom to find it filled with security, and be put on lockdown? Would he be forced to quit school, stay at home away from his friends, with only the possibility of someone like _Chloe_ coming to visit?

Would he still be able to see Marinette?

Transforming the minute he landed in the vast gardens of the estate, Adrien tidied up his mussed clothing, tucking the drained Plagg close to him in his shirt pocket. The boy crept towards the vines that crawled up the side of the manor, and with practiced ease, crawled his way up the wall like a spider monkey. Adrien carefully landed on the balcony, doing his best to mimic his Chat Noir stealth as he crept towards the sliding glass door. Peering in, he found no one waiting to ambush him, and slipped in through the door.

His room was dead quiet, everything had been left in place, heck, even the doors remained closed. Adrien heaved a sigh he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, and made his way to his dresser to pull out some decent smelling clothing- the stuff he was wearing smelt like sleepy teenage boy, and that _wasn’t_ exactly the most pleasant smell in the whole wide world. He was throwing off his clothing and was midway into yanking on some pyjama bottoms when there was a curt knock on the door. Adrien froze in place.

“...Adrien?” Nathalie’s calm voice was sharp despite being muffled by the door, and he kicked his dirty clothing under the dresser as she pushed the door open. She stepped in, raising her head to greet him and halted midway through the door. Adrien swallowed and put on a smile.

“Hey, morning Nathalie,” he managed out through a pressed smile. When she didn’t reply right away, he pushed on, “So uh, what brings you here on such a beautiful morning?”

“You weren’t answering your phone last night, Adrien. Where were you?” ever to the point, Nathalie closed the door behind her, hand resting on her hip, “Your father and I were worried.” The likelihood of his father actually worrying for him being rather low, Adrien suspected that it was more Nathalie worrying about losing her job over losing a model prodigy than anything that was near what he would call love and worry.

“Oh, I was….” he gestured to his bedroom in a sweeping motion, giving her a smile, “Here. Sorry, guess I had my phone on silent.” Nathalie narrowed her eyes, “I mean, I did get home later than usual last night, but it wasn’t _that_ late. I was really tired and didn’t check my phone.” Another long, painful silence stretched between the two of them. He knew that Nathalie was analyzing; taking in the overly tidy bedspread, the open dresser, and even Adrien himself, disheveled but wearing freshly pressed pyjama bottoms. He knew _very well_ that she was likely seeing right through his fib. Had she come into his room at some point last night? Had she been waiting outside his door all night? He wouldn’t know.

He had been sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long time.

“...I see.” Nathalie stated after a terribly long silence, and Adrien’s false smile stretched a bit wider across his face, heart pounding a mile a minute, “Your father wants to see you.” She just left then, and Adrien knew he was meant to follow. Glancing back at the dirty clothes under his dresser, where Plagg’s worried little face was peeking out, he darted down the hallway after Nathalie’s clicking heels.

Well, this wasn’t going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Long time no update... I am SO sorry for the wait guys and thanks SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE, I DIDN'T DIE I SWEAR D: I intended on having this out for you all on my birthday (May 31) at latest, but.... Obviously we kiiiinda passed that. On the plus side, longest chapter yet? I guess? I hope it's alright, and I SWEAR the next chapter won't take me 3 years to write. Promise! 
> 
> As always, thanks to kali_asleep for being super bae and reading my nonsense before I tossed it up here.
> 
> Let's be friends on tumblr! sockdilemma is the name :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tikki…. I hope he’s alright.” Marinette mumbled, running her hand over her face. It had been only a few hours since Adrien had left in a fumbling mess, but Marinette couldn’t help but worry. His father was going to have the poor boy beheaded, or worse, of that she was sure.

The sunlight that shone through Marinette’s window felt like heaven on her skin.

Soft and warm, it tickled the curve of her shoulders and the line along her back that went uncovered with blankets. Between that and the walking furnace known as Adrien Agreste in her arms, Marinette had never felt more pleasant in all of her years. It was almost as if they were born to hold each other. Each groove and curve fit so perfectly together, just as it had felt so very right when he’d held her in the medical room bed several days prior. This moment simply further proved the theory that they were two halves of a whole; yin and yang, darkness and light, Chat Noir and Ladybug.

Marinette and Adrien.

Marinette let out a sleepy sigh as she nuzzled her face close into the silky blond locks that gently tickled her cheeks. The smooth curve of Adrien’s soft cheek rested ever so delicately on her sternum, his breath hot and gentle against her chest. Her arms cradled him, and in return his were caressing her lower back, touch light as he treasured her figure against him. His thigh was lightly draped over her hip, and Marinette’s ankles trapped his other leg against the mattress. Peering down at the boy in her arms, Marinette silently appreciated his exquisitely long blond lashes that danced and flickered along his sun kissed cheeks, the cute curve of his cat-like nose, the way his lips parted against her chest. When he was this close, the blond practically looked carved from marble. Marinette smiled down at the boy in her arms, pulling him closer as her eyes sealed shut sleepily.

Really, in any other situation, Marinette ought to have been extremely embarrassed with their positions. They were, after all, still high school students, and had in fact only confirmed their identities the night prior after being teammates for such a short period of time. But hey, time was only a concept, right? And when you’re chosen to be partners doing the things they did, bonds went a little deeper than a regular friendship. That seemed enough to excuse their current position, as it were.

The midnight haired girl shifted, curling herself deeper against Adrien’s lean figure as she drifted in and out of consciousness. There was nothing on her mind besides the boy’s natural musk, the sweet smell of his shampoo, the heat that he radiated pleasantly along her bruised skin. It took nothing for the morning to pass, Marinette snuggled gently alongside her chaton. Everything at that moment was peace.

And then that moment ended.

It took a while for her brain to register that her heat source had escaped its confines, and even longer to realise that the bed below her was shifting about sporadically beneath her cheek. Scrunching her face up with a groan, Marinette willed herself back into the land of the living, bleary eyes peering open. At first there was only shapes, blurry and moving too rapidly for her brain to properly register. The girl lifted her head and rubbed her eyes to help her vision focus.

“Mmm….” the sound wasn’t quite words, but it stilled the blond, who looked… frantic. “Adrien?” Marinette blinked a few times, letting a long yawn escape her mouth. She sat up slowly, running her hands over her face.

“Marinette,” Adrien breathed back, and Marinette couldn’t help the gush of warmth that prickled over her skin at his breathy tone. Still, it wasn’t the tone she’d expected from someone so early in the morning. It was more anxious than she’d liked, and so Marinette forced herself to focus. “I have to go. It’s morning.” The girl paused, considering this. Of course it was morning. He’d slept over, had he forgotten? He….

Oh.

Hold up.

“You’re still here.” Adrien Agreste wasn’t supposed to be having sleepovers with teenage girls.

“Yes.” He gave her a quick nod, urging her to wake up more.

“You slept over last night.” Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn’t supposed to be having boys stay over in her bed, even if they were badass crime fighting partners that saved Paris on a day to day basis.

“Yep.” Another nod. Marinette’s eyes widened.

“I had a boy in my bed.” If her parents found out, they would be pissed. If _Alya_ found out, Marinette would be murdered.

“Yeah.” Adrien was looking as shell shocked as she felt right about now.

“Adrien Agreste. In my bed.” Adrien’s last name alone cost more than her entire house, and he’d stayed over and had been cuddled in her arms all night long.

“Yes, that’s me.” He confirmed that he was, in fact, Adrien Agreste, young male model and one of the most well known names in Paris, and Marinette’s heart gave a flop.

“...You didn’t go home.” Wasn’t Adrien the same kid that wasn’t allowed to go to school only a year and a half earlier? The same kid whose life was scheduled down to every last minute?

“Yeah, no.” Adrien nodded and grimaced, and Marinette froze up.

Silence consumed them for a moment as everything clicked together. Adrien Agreste, the _very same_ Adrien Agreste that was son to the super famous, super strict, super controlling Gabriel Agreste, had accidentally stayed the night at miss baker’s daughter Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s house, and had undoubtedly not checked in with his home the night prior.

“Your dad is going to _kill_ you.” Understatement of the century.

“You better believe it.”

“Then what are you still sitting here for?!” Marinette blossomed violently to life at that moment as she threw her hands into the air and shifted up to her knees. The girl was in full panic mode, throwing her sheets to the side as she scrambled to her window, flailing with the lock, before forcing the window wide. The cold air hit her like a truck, but she persevered, “Go, go, go! Transform! Out!” she yelped out frantically, reaching back to grab a fistful of the shocked boy’s already disheveled shirt, yanking him forwards with surprising strength.

Even if she kinda wished he could stay and cuddle longer, now wasn’t the time. They had to fix the problem before it started. Marinette’s hands were pushing Adrien’s butt up through the window when a knock on the trapdoor below had her stuttering to a complete halt. Silence. Marinette looked up at Adrien’s panicked face, swallowed at her own hammering heart, and pressed a finger to her lips. Reaching back she quickly scooped up a cranky looking Plagg and pressed the little cat against Adrien’s chest.

Another knock on the trapdoor.

Adrien was already up through the trapdoor when they caught each other’s eye, and Marinette felt her heart wilt at the way he looked at her at that exact moment. Shocked, apologetic, flushed, bashful… Those were but few of the emotions that swirled around in the blond’s eyes. Marinette opened her mouth to say goodbye, but was instead met with a swift kiss to her lips. For a brief moment the panic subsided, and she kissed back eagerly, not wanting to separate and face reality. Adrien’s mouth left hers, and as the window clicked shut, the trapdoor below creaked open.

“....Marinette? You awake yet, honey?” Mari’s mother’s voice slipped up into the room, and the girl’s heart beat back to life.

“Y-yes! Sorry, I...” The midnight haired girl fumbled about in her bedding, pushing herself close enough to the ledge of her loft to look down at her mother, who peered up at her curiously, “I was having really weird dreams, and, um….”

“Honey, did you sleep in your clothes again?” Sabine chided, and for a moment, Marinette was sure she’d be in trouble for… something. Instead, her mother gave a soft chuckle, her face warm and cheery, “I guess you got home quite late, hmm? Your papa and I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“Oh,” that’s right, Marinette hadn’t come in through the front door yesterday, had she? “Y-Yeah, sorry maman,” the girl replied, flushing bashfully, “After the mall I was hanging out with everyone and I guess I didn’t realise how late it was...” Sabine smiled up at her, and was giving Marinette that ‘all knowing mother’ look. Marinette really hoped she wasn’t seeing right through her lie, despite the fact that it was technically true. Technically.

“No worries, dear,” she cooed, and Marinette forced a smile on her lips, “When I was young I used to ‘hang out’ late as well...” she chuckled, “Just let us know if you’re staying out next time, okay? Just so we know you’re safe.” Marinette nodded obediently.

“Yeah, sorry maman.” Sabine smiled softly, and gently tucked her head back down, closing the door behind her. For a moment all was silent, and Marinette heaved out a sigh she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. Marinette was just about to crawl out of bed when the trapdoor popped open again, and Marinette let out a squeal of surprise.

“Forgot to mention!” Sabine chirped out, smiling at her daughter’s spooked expression, “The Dubois family will be coming to collect their cat in an hour or two. You might want to tidy yourself before then, chouchou.” Marinette wheezed out a laugh.

“R-right… The Dubois’…. Okay, thanks maman.” Sabine gave her a warm smile once again, and then she was gone. Marinette wheezed out another sigh, flopping back down onto her bed and next to Tikki. It had only been a week since all of this nonsense had started. Just a week. Time had flown by without her really noticing. It was definitely a concept that she didn’t think she’d be getting a grasp of for a long while.

“Well, best get tidied.” Marinette grumbled, looking over to Tikki, who planted a motherly kiss on the girl’s forehead.

 

\---

 

“My sweet little Chat Noir! Oh, how mommy missed you!” Mrs. Dubois chubby frame was bouncing its way across Marinette’s room, sweeping up a spooked black cat in one surprisingly graceful motion and cuddling the yowling beast against her overflowing bosom, tickling his forehead against her chin, “Were you a good boy for Miss Marinette? Were you?” Marinette could only stand there and smile awkwardly as the middle aged woman gushed eagerly over the frazzled looking cat, shifting from foot to foot.

“He was very good.” Marinette responded, despite the fact she knew the question wasn’t directed at her. As she was being blatantly ignored by ‘mommy’, Marinette turned her eyes to Mr. Dubois, who looked just as awkward as she did watching his wife coddle the screaming cat.

“...Well,” Mr. Dubois cleared his throat after a few agonizing moments of squeals and cat cries, “We best get going, darling. I’m sure Noir would like to go home.” The man’s wife continued to coddle her shrieking cat affectionately, but began tidying up the cat’s many assorted items across Marinette’s floor. The willowy man smiled down at Marinette, and began shuffling through his pockets, “Now my dear, the rest of your payment...”

“Oh!” Marinette held her hands up above her chest, shaking her pigtails, “Mr. Dubois, you’ve _definitely_ over payed me already! Please, I don’t need anymore of your money...”

“Oh nonsense, my dear!” Mrs. Dubois sweet as sugar voice chimed out through the room once more as she jostled over with Chat Noir in his crate and litter box in tow; everything else was tucked under her arms, nearly overflowing, “We wouldn’t have been able to go on our trip had it not been for you! And oh, look at sweet little Chat...” She wiggled one chubby little finger at the cat, who growled irritably, “You’ve taken _such_ good care of him! He’s so smitten he doesn’t want to leave!”

Marinette was positive that had this woman known the real Chat Noir had slept over the night before, she would have swooned. The gentleman was holding out Marinette’s remaining pay (which was even more than her original cash pile, sitting forgotten on her computer desk), and his wife was giving Marinette a look that told her if she didn’t take the money, she’d likely have her ear talked off. Marinette plastered a false grin on her face, and reached to take the bills that were being held out to her.

“Uh, thank you….”

“We’ll rely on you again, mon cherie!” Mrs Dubois called out, and she shuffled herself and her husband through the trapdoor. Slowly, very slowly, the low yowls of cat Chat Noir faded, and then Marinette was left standing in the silence, wad of cash in hand.

“He’s _gone…_ ” she heaved, and Tikki peered out from her hiding spot up on Marinette’s loft, letting out an eager little cheer. Marinette fell into her computer chair, pushing her bangs out of her face. The devil cat was gone, she had four times the amount of money a pet sitter would usually be paid sitting on her desk, and while this morning had been a bit of a fiasco, she’d had Adrien Agreste sleepover last night. All in all, the day was going well. There was only one little tidbit eating at the back of her mind.

“Tikki…. I hope he’s alright.” Marinette mumbled, running her hand over her face. It had been only a few hours since Adrien had left in a fumbling mess, but Marinette couldn’t help but worry. His father was going to have the poor boy beheaded, or worse, of that she was sure. Tikki fluttered down to land on her forehead, and Marinette peered up at the little kwami’s sapphire blue eyes.

“Adrien?” Tikki asked. Marinette nodded. “He will be okay. As much as Plagg is a bringer of bad luck, I just...Have a feeling... ” Marinette gave Tikki an unimpressed look, and the bug’s bell-like laughter rang clear in the room, “Just text him if you’re so curious!”

“You think I should? I mean, shouldn’t I give him some space?” They did after all, only kind of introduce each other as one anothers’ partners in crime fighting last night. And he’d text her later, right? She didn’t need to go pestering him…. It’s not like they were…. Anything official, or anything.

“Well, your phone did go off,” Tikki continued, fluttering her long lashes in Marinette’s general direction, “Perhaps he texted you already?”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Marinette pushed herself up and off her ass and scrambled up her loft for bed, Tikki fluttering behind her and reminding her to be careful- she had, after all, very likely damaged her head, and Tikki’s magic and sleep could only do so much. Marinette landed on her bed, yanking away blankets until she found her phone. With a wheeze of relief, she went to check for messages.

One text from Alya.

Marinette groaned loudly. After yesterday, she didn't feel like talking to Alya just this minute. Still, Marinette's curiousity took no time to eat away at her, and with a growl, she clicked the message open.

And promptly felt all the blood drain from her face.

Marinette sat rigid, staring at the single line Alya had sent her. She could see Tikki fluttering around curiously in her peripheral vision, but couldn't bring her eyes up from the glowing screen. When Marinette finally remembered that she needed to breathe, she let out a low, frustrated growl. And then that growl grew into a high pitched whine. And that whine progressed into a loud yowl that could rival Cat Chat Noir’s screeches from a mere 10 minutes earlier.

“...Marinette?”

Tikki’s voice broke through Marinette's inhuman shrieking, and the girl's mouth snapped shut. 

Alya: _So that little Chat Noir is quite the cat’s meow, isn’t he?_

“ _Cat puns._ ” Marinette sneered out. Did she not get enough of that shit from her leather clad companion? Now she was gonna be getting them from Alya?

Mari: _Yes._

How else was she supposed to reply? Marinette huffed and flopped back onto her bed, running a hand through her hair and tousling it wildly. The room was silent for a few moments, and then a long buzz that indicated Alya had gotten back to her. Marinette peered over at her phone with a sneer.

Alya: _You and him are quite purrfect for eachother, I must admit._

Marinette refrained from grinding her teeth.

Alya: _I thought that Adrien was your meowst favourite though? You seem to have gotten over him purretty quickly..._

Marinette’s eye gave a twitch.

Marinette: _Are you not the one that suggested I give another guy a go in the first place?_

Alya: _You bet your whiskers, sweetheart._

Marinette huffed, and was going to drop her phone, but it buzzed in her hand once more. The girl pinched at the bridge of her nose with a frustrated growl, before the light of her phone flickered across her face again.

Alya: _But it doesn’t really count, right?_

The dark haired girl hesitated, her lips pursing finely as she leered at the line. What was Alya getting at this time?

Marinette: _What?_

Alya’s response was almost instantaneous; Marinette felt her heart lurch into her throat.

Alya: _Considering Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir are meowst definitely the same purrson, I mean._

Marinette had never hit the phone button so fast in her life. The phone didn’t even ring once before Alya’s laughter could be heard laughing through the phone.

“How did you know??” Marinette hissed, eyes peering around as if someone could be listening to their conversation.

“It was just a guess, but I suppose you just confirmed it, huh, _Meowinette?_ ” Alya was laughing, and Marinette swore she just swallowed her tongue. The girl couldn’t even string together a coherent word while Alya’s laughter rang heartily in her ear, “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

“YOU CAN’T TELL ANYONE.” The dark haired girl finally managed something moderately coherent, and it came out as nothing less than a scream. Alya was still howling with laughter on the other side, now sounding more manic and evil than any akuma Marinette had ever faced. This was, after all, the same Alya that ran the _Ladyblog_. The Alya whose main purpose in life was to discover the identities of Paris’ favourite superheroes. The Alya who was sweet and protective but could be spicy and salty as all hell when mad. 

Marinette knew very well that Adrien had unleashed the girl’s fury earlier this week when he’d made her cry.

And now his biggest secret was in Alya’s unforgiving hands.

“Alya,” Marinette’s voice came out as no more than a quiver, her hands suddenly trembling as she held the phone to her clammy face, “Please, I-I’m begging you, don’t….” a shakey inhale; Marinette’s heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst, “Please don’t tell….It’s important, it’s---”

“Cool your jets there, kitten,” Alya wheezed into the phone, Marinette’s stuttering coming to a halt, “I won’t tell anyone. Your little alley cat’s secret is safe with me.” Marinette’s mouth opened, and she was met with a snort, “I might be pissed at him for trying to lie to me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean I’d rat him out. Or should I say…. Cat him out?” Marinette let a breath out she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

“B-but you….”

“Run the Ladyblog? Have one of the biggest snippets of news I’ve ever had within my clutches? Could very well make myself one of the most famous bloggers in Paris by telling the world that Chat Noir is none other than prodigy model Adrien Agreste? What?” Marinette could practically hear how smug Alya was through the phone, “Do you _really_ think I’d expose my bestie’s most important person to the world for some publicity? That I’d sing from the tops of the hills Adrien’s dirty little secret just because he’s made me mad once or twice? Come come now, Mari…. Do you really think so little of me?”

“Ah, um…. N-No, but…..” Marinette fizzled out, hands shaking anxiously, “I mean, you don’t like him, right?” Silence followed, and then more laughter. Alya was, apparently, having the time of her life on the other side of the phone. Marinette felt like she was having a stress caused aneurysm.

“ _Marinette,_ babe,” Alya snickered out, “You’re _killing_ me. Relaaaax!” Marinette, to say the least, did not feel particularly relaxed. “Yes we don’t always get along, but Adrien is still a friend. And just because he’s oblivious doesn’t mean I don’t like him.”  
Marinette could have cried. She really could have. “Alya, I-I’m so sorry… I….” Was it her fault that she jumped to the conclusion that Alya would tell the world about Adrien? Most definitely. Did that make her a bad friend? Absolutely. “Thank you…. I shouldn’t have doubted you, I...”

“Eh, I would have doubted me too.” She could practically envision Alya shrugging into the phone, “If it was anyone else but him I wouldn’t have held back, let’s face it.”

“...That’s true.” At least Alya could be honest about it. “Still…. I’m… I’m sorry… Thank you.”

“Yes, more thanking and less apologizing! I’m doing you nerds a _favour_ not telling anyone, you know that right?” aaaand here came Alya’s ego, “In fact, I think Adrien _reaaaaally_ owes me. Like, big time. He should get me some ins on some big interviews or something… Yeah.” she was laughing again; Marinette was happy she was taking this so well, “Oh! Or he can get his hands on some nice new clothing for me! Can you imagine Chloe’s face if I showed up to school wearing something right off the catwalk?”

“Well, uh, I’m sure he’ll be very grateful to you for not telling anyone his secrets...” Knowing Adrien, he was likely to do something for Alya as thanks for her silence. He definitely seemed the type to splurge his friends with gifts.

“He better be!” Alya chuckled into Marinette’s ear, and the girl heaved a soft sigh, “Maybe I can get him to tell me who Ladybug is, and then I’d have a matching set!”

“Haha, yeah.” Yeah, no. 

Marinette wasn’t quite ready for that just yet.

 

\---

 

Ladybug sailed from rooftop to rooftop, silent in the chilled evening. She’d been very patient all day, even after talking to Alya, and eventually Adrien had given her a text. It had only been one line, but it was all she needed.

_Would you want to come for a visit later?_

It had been enough for her to feign an early bedtime, put on her spots, and throw herself off her balcony and in Adrien’s direction. She’d tried to get more out of the boy, but he must have been away from his phone after that single text. And so she was flying, taking no time to land across from the darkened manor. Upon further observation, there seemed to be a single light on, shining from Adrien’s room. Ladybug bounced down from her less-than secretive hiding place, and landed on Adrien’s balcony with ease that regular old Marinette could only hope to achieve. She hesitated, if only for a moment, and then gently knocked on the large glass window pane. She didn’t have to wait long for a mop of unruly blond hair to come bouncing into view, and before she could open her mouth to greet him, Adrien was throwing the window open and wrapping his arms around Ladybug’s torso.

She didn’t think that the boy could take her breath away anymore than he’d already had.

She was wrong.

Tucked in against his chest, she was once again hit by the realisation of how _perfect_ she felt in his arms, and gave a sigh as she pressed her face into his shirt, nuzzling her head under his chin. They sat still like this for a solid few minutes, just breathing in one another’s presence. Ladybug would have been happy to stay that way too, but Adrien pulled away, blushing fervently as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“...You should uh, probably come in.” The blond managed out with a sheepish, very Chat grin. It occurred to Ladybug that while they _were_ in the privacy of Adrien’s backyard, they were still technically out in the open. If Ladybug was photographed in the Agreste’s yard, there would be riots. With a small nod, Marinette let herself in.

The room, as it had been the last time she was in it, was expansive and lonely. The single light on was a lamp, sitting close to the couch. Ladybug made her way to that light, finding it a comfort in the otherwise dark room. Adrien was right on her heels, a shadow of a boy. He only felt like a real being in the room when he flopped down on the couch behind her, heaving a small sigh. Ladybug took that as a queue to join him.

“Rough day?” she asked quietly, peering up at the blond through thick black lashes. Adrien was quiet for a moment, but then gave a nod. After further contemplation he nodded and shrugged simultaneously.

“I… Guess?” he looked over at her, his brow quirked and his mouth knotted to the side, “I mean, my father didn’t realise I was gone all night.” Ladybug furrowed her brow, reaching out to gently touch Adrien’s arm, “But I guess Nathalie cared enough to look for me last night. I’m thankful she didn't rat me out or anything but….” Adrien chuckled, sweeping some of his bangs to the side, “She was watching me like a hawk all day.”

“Hence the lack of texts?” Adrien nodded in response, his blond head dropping into Ladybug’s awaiting shoulder. She didn't budge, and instead found her hand slipping up from the boy’s arm and into his silky hair, patting it gently. “I’m… Sorry that your dad kind of ignored you? But I guess it’s better than being grounded.”

“I guess.” Adrien sighed again, nuzzling close against his lady’s shoulder. Marinette continued to stroke his hair, “It would be nice if he paid a little more attention to me now and again… It wouldn't be so bad to get in trouble every once in awhile, right?” he was peering up at her, and Ladybug was certain her heart skipped a beat. Not liking how the conversation was feeling, Ladybug decided to switch it up.

“What, you mean you wanted to get caught? Was my morning breath _that_ bad?” Ladybug laid the bait, and gullible Adrien Agreste fell in hook, line, and sinker.

“Wh---No!” Adrien sat up rigid, face paling. Ladybug could only smirk behind her mask, “My lady--- I-I mean, M-Marinette…Ladybug? Um...” Ladybug was snickering; Adrien went from deathly pale to incredibly flushed, “That… This morning...It…No...”

“Adrien, _relax._ ” The red clad girl laughed out, and the boy stilled, still red in the face, “No need to get your knickers in a twist, kitty. I’m _teasing_ you.” To put emphasis on ‘teasing’, Ladybug lifted a finger and gently tapped Adrien’s nose; the boy’s head bobbled as he stared back at her blankly. His blank stare only brought her giggles surging back, and then she was holding her sides, wheezing hard as she tried to breathe through her giggle fit. Adrien flushed, and raised his hands in a way that distinctly said ‘prepare for tickles’. Ladybug in turn, froze up, eyebrows shooting high under her mask. She held up her hands in front of her defensively as he leaned inwards, eyes gleaming with malicious intent. “Adrien,” The girl warned, shaking her head, “Don’t you dare---” 

Too late.

With Chat Noir-like reflexes, Adrien’s hands shot to Ladybug’s abdomen, tucking themselves under her fingers and wriggling against her costumed flesh. The sound that escaped the girl was inhuman as she went down, flopping back on the couch with a squeal as she was tickled to hell and back. After that point they were nothing but a tangle of limbs and laughter, hands shooting wildly at one another to exact revenge as they bumped back and forth, each one trying to out-tickle the other.

It wasn’t until several minutes later, through Ladybug’s squeals of “Uncle! Uncle!” that Adrien stopped his attack, and he pulled the girl up into his arms with little effort, falling back onto the couch so Ladybug was pinning him against the cushions. They stayed like that for a moment, Ladybug peering down at the boy’s flushed face and bright, relaxed smile. She smiled back at him, and leaned forwards, gently brushing their lips together. The room went quiet.

A heartbeat passed.

Another.

“...Adrien?” Ladybug asked, sitting up to look at the boy beneath her. He was flushed, but not in a way that was embarrassed. She wasn’t sure why, but her anxiety began bubbling up in her stomach, and she felt herself fluster, “S-sorry, um…. I-I just, y’know, a-after last night I thought it would be okay if….” Adrien was still staring at her, unblinking, “Was...Was that not okay…?” They stared at eachother for a few beats longer, Ladybug’s lip pulling up between her teeth as she began to worry at it fervently.

“Do you know,” Adrien again after a pulse passed, Ladybug’s eyes snapping back down to the boy’s face, “how long I’ve dreamt of _you_ kissing me? You, as Ladybug, kissing _me?_ Adrien?” Ladybug blinked, before she felt her face burn hot.

“Adrien...” She murmured, “You know we’ve kissed before… Like… A lot...”

“But not like this!” the boy retorted, his hands reaching up to gently stroke Ladybug’s cheeks. She flushed under his touch, leaning into his palms gently.

“Do you have… A Ladybug kink?” she asked coyly, feeling a little smirk split across her lips.

“Oh yes,” he replied quickly, Chat Noir shining through his golden boy features as a smile split across his lips, “Just like you have a biting kink.” Ladybug paused, before a scowl formed on her face. It was Adrien’s turn to laugh again, snickering gleefully underneath her.

“You know that was a lie!” She snapped at him, face pulling into a full pout.

“Aww bugaboo, no need to get all miffed on me,” he laughed, both hands finding her face now as he turned her face towards him. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t have refused him for the world. Instead she met his eyes, puffing out her cheeks and puckering her lips. “I was just teasing you back, Mari...” Adrien was leaning up, gently brushing his mouth up against hers.

There was resistance, if only for a moment, before she gently brushed lips back. Silence fell in between them again, and then another lip brush. And another. Those brushes quickly became prolonged presses and light touches, and then gentle, soft movements of mouths softly rolling against one another. Partings were sparse, and as Adrien wrapped his arms around Ladybug’s neck, his tongue rolled along her raw bottom lip. A soft moan escaped her as she parted her mouth for him, pressing her hands against his abdomen as they deepened their kiss, tongues gently rolling against each other. 

Ladybug found herself tipping her head to the side, deepening their kiss as her fingers found the brim of Adrien’s shirt. Their mouths parted ever so slightly, Adrien leaning forwards to gently kiss at his Lady’s jawline. Ladybug in turn gave a shudder, fingers slipping under his shirt and mapping their way up his torso. While Adrien gave a gentle moan beneath her and trapped her mouth with his own once more, Ladybug’s fingertips worked at memorizing the boy’s every curve, every muscle, every inch of flesh she could get a hold of. It wasn’t until his shirt’s hem was up at his collar bone that Adrien pulled his mouth away, his breath puffing hard against Ladybug’s chin.

“What….” He managed out between gasps of breath, a trail of saliva parting between their slack mouths, “What should we…. Do next?” he asked, swallowing hard. Marinette took in the boy’s figure beneath her; flushed face and panting breaths, dishevelled shirt and heaving chest, smooth and lightly toned abdomen, all the way down to his navel, where small tufts of blond hair teased her sight down below his belt. She felt her ears burn, forcing her eyes back up to his collar bone.

“I….” How far did they want to take this? They were both still teenagers, and while yes, Marinette was curious about a lot of things, stuff passed kissing wasn’t exactly what she was ready for. Ladybug swallowed hard, focusing on Adrien’s rising and falling chest as opposed to his deliriously attractive face. “I want…. To mark you.”

“...What?” Adrien asked, and Ladybug’s eyes snapped back to his. He didn’t appear to be offended, just… Confused. She swallowed hard, and licked her raw lips.

“I just thought…. You know, it was only fair,” she began, averting her eyes to the floor beside her, “I mean…. You’ve been leaving marks on me all week and….”

“Like, hickeys?” Adrien asked again, and Ladybug, not able to meet his brilliant green gaze, gave a quiet nod. There was silence between them, interrupted only by soft pants. “Sure.” Ladybug’s eyes flickered up again, and Adrien was looking bashful. It was enough to send heat burning through her entire essence.

“It’s okay?”

“Yeah.” Adrien was nodding, and his eyes lit up eagerly. Ladybug swallowed, licking at her lips again. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, she leaned down. Adrien’s gaze followed her silently, his mouth curling up into a small smile. He was _excited_. Pushed on by Adrien’s eagerness, she flicked her eyes down to his flushed collarbone, and at a snail’s pace, attached her lips to Adrien’s sun kissed skin.

First step complete, Ladybug began to gently suckle the skin under her mouth, hearing Adrien’s breath hitch in his throat. It was a weird sensation, suction cupping her mouth to the boy’s flesh; she kind of felt like a leech. Still, the sounds escaping Adrien’s mouth definitely made the experience worthwhile. She sucked and nipped for a short while longer, before pulling her mouth away with a wet pop. The mark was burning red, even against Adrien’s natural tan. It looked so angry, but it couldn’t have possibly hurt. Not when Adrien’s face was in such a giddy daze.

“Did I do it right?” she asked, wiping some saliva from her mouth with the back of her costumed wrist. Adrien breathed heavily under her for a moment, before slowly nodding. Ladybug felt a smile dance upon her features; her mouth quickly made it’s way back to his skin. Adrien gently ran his hands over the back of Ladybug’s neck as she sucked and nipped across his collarbone and down, nipping a few smaller marks along one of his pectoral muscles. It was another few minutes through Adrien’s eager, blissful moans until Ladybug pulled away to peer down at her handywork. The blond was now spattered with Ladybug’s lovebites, and she grinned up at him. 

“Now we’re even, I guess.” Adrien managed out after a few more gasping breaths, and she giggled.

“Not quite, but we’ll get there.” she chuckled out. Content with her artwork, Ladybug wiggled herself down into Adrien’s embrace, curling herself against the boy’s chest. The girl gave a soft, sleepy sigh, nuzzling against the boy. She wanted to sleep here and now, but knew it would be a less than stellar idea. She also knew she had to tell him about the whole Alya thing, but again… Not exactly the right time. Not after they’d had a makeout session, for sure. Instead, she’d just be satisfied lying there in the quiet, enjoying the heat coming off of Adrien’s skin.

That was the plan, anyways.

Sirens in the background stated otherwise.

The growl that erupted from in between them was surprising, mostly because it came from Adrien. The boy was leering over at the still partially open window, frowning at the sirens.

“I think the akumas are doing this to me on purpose.” He groaned, sitting up from under Ladybug’s lean form, the girl following suit. He looked up at her, and caught her lips once more, before giving a heavy sigh. She nodded, and as she rolled off of him and made her way to the window, she heard the boy’s transformation wash over him.

“Guess it’s time to kick some asses.” Ladybug muttered, tossing herself out of Adrien’s window, a lanky black figure slinking behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.... It wasn't three years, atleast?
> 
> Hello my sweet kittens, I hope you're all well! Thank you for your patience as always! I got a new job and my step-family (is that a word?) moved in this past month, so things have been absolute chaos around here! I'm still kicking though, don't panic! Once things settle down, writing will become a lot smoother :D Also, be ready for some new stories to be coming out in the near future! I've been working on a few little side things :D I hope you enjoy them!
> 
> As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments below; nothing makes me happier than reading your nice words!
> 
> See you soon with the next chapter, my ducklings!!!


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